Building a Life
by redhead414
Summary: A 12 Part Epilogue to "It's All Uncharted."
1. Chapter 1

**_Hello again!_**

_**First off - I just have to say that if you haven't read "It's All Uncharted," well, there's a lot here that won't make sense**_. _**Also - thanks to everyone who added alerts, left comments, etc. I was overwhelmed and so grateful that you all enjoyed my first fanfic. Thanks just doesn't seem enough, but it's all I have :D**_

_**Second - I've decided that this story is the sequel to IAU, and that "Show Me What I'm Looking For," will be the third story in the series - which I'm working on as I'm figuring out how to post to both stories. I initially posted that prologue so that I wasn't virtually stoned to death after publishing a chapter I knew would make some panic.**_

_**Third - I hope you like this chapter. It wasn't the initial direction I planned on going, but once I started writing, it just happened. This story will see things from various POV's instead of just Draco and Hermione, which I think is really going to add more depth to the story as a whole. **_

_**With that said...enjoy!**_

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><p>Draco hated being inside any sort of hospital, but he was convinced that the muggle ones were worse than St. Mungo's. He felt like he was on sensory overload inside them, with the continuous beeping and buzzing of machines, the loudspeaker system paging people in various parts of the hospital or calling something called 'codes.' He didn't know what a 'code' was, but he'd been inside muggle hospitals enough to realize that 'codes' were bad - because everyone stopped what they were doing, they listened, and then if it required their services, the medical professionals sprinted down the halls at a speed only fueled by adrenaline.<p>

He walked into Hermione's room with a cup of ice chips, setting them down on the rolling tray next to her bed. There was a large monitor secured around her protruding belly, hooked up to a machine to monitor the baby's heartbeat. A white clothespin like device was pinched lightly to Hermione's left index finger, monitoring her own heartbeat while she appeared to be sleeping. Draco knew better of course. He knew what his wife looked like when she was sleeping, and what she was doing was worrying with her eyes closed. She'd been in labor now for about six hours, and it was nearly three in the morning.

Leaning over the hospital bed, Draco brushed a hand over her forehead before kissing it lightly. "Stop stressing," he whispered. "Everything is going to be fine."

Her eyes fluttered open as she looked at him. "I told you not to say that," she replied, her voice a notch above a whisper.

Draco sighed, kissing her forehead once more. "I have ice chips for you."

Hermione nodded, giving him a small smile. "Thanks."

Sitting down in the chair next to the bed, he reached out for her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. The two of them had gotten used to the silence between them when inside the walls of her muggle healer's office and this hospital. Draco didn't want to wind her up any more than what she already was. Hermione didn't want to get her hopes up any more than what was required.

She clenched her husband's hand tightly as another contraction rippled through her abdomen. Never once making a sound, Hermione bit her lips together and squeezed her eyes tight. Hermione refused to take any type of pain medication, as she wanted this time to be as natural as possible. She wanted to feel everything. She refused to be numb.

"_It will help," Dr. Whitlock said, his voice sympathetic with each word. "With the pain…and pushing. Numb isn't necessarily a bad thing right now." _

_Tears continued to fall down Hermione's cheeks as she looked at Dr. Whitlock, then back to Healer Morgan. Dr. Whitlock was a muggle obstetrician who was aware of the wizarding world, as his own brother was a muggle born wizard, who was friends with Healer Morgan. The two of them shared a practice together. It was Healer Morgan's suggestion they see Dr. Whitlock during Hermione's five-month checkup, and Hermione knew that if the Healer was referring to her see a muggle physician immediately, that something was wrong._

There was no real explanation as to why their baby was stillborn in January, just a few days after James' fifth birthday. The tests the Healer Morgan ran after Dr. Whitlock delivered the baby showed no traces of dark magic. _The cord was tangled around his neck, and the baby just couldn't breathe,_ Dr. Whitlock said to the devastated couple. Draco was horrified at the thought of Hermione having to go through labor, to give birth to their stillborn child. As if she hadn't been traumatized enough. He asked - nearly begged - for there to be another way, but all he received in return were sympathetic looks from Healer Morgan and Dr. Whitlock. They gave them the option of letting her wait until her body induced labor on its own, or she could be induced at the hospital. Hermione couldn't bear the thought of waiting for her body to go into labor, so they chose to be induced.

He felt her grip relax, as he was standing over her again, his head pressed to hers as he whispered comforting words into her ear. Draco stroked his free hand through her hair as she caught her breath, relaxing a bit, as the pain subsided. A nurse walked into the room and smiled brightly at the couple before her. "How are we feeling?" she asked, snapping on a clean pair of gloves.

"Fine," Hermione replied, wincing a bit as a hand resting on her stomach.

"I'm just going to check and see how far along you are," the nurse replied. Discretely, the nurse lifted up the blankets at the end of Hermione's bed as Hermione opened her legs, bending her knees as she felt the Nurse examining her. "Well - I hope you're ready to see your baby," the middle-aged woman chirped. "Because you're ready to start pushing. I'm going to go get Dr. Whitlock."

As the nurse plucked her gloves off and tossed them in the trash before leaving, Hermione and Draco looked at each other. Draco was no longer holding back the excitement in his eyes, despite the look of fear he could see in hers. He nuzzled her nose, kissing her lips lightly as he spoke. "We're having a baby," he murmured. "A beautiful baby to spoil rotten."

"We're not spoiling him."

"Her."

Hermione looked at him. "Her?"

Draco shrugged. "I have a feeling."

Dr. Whitlock appeared in the room, a grin peeping through his thick scruffy beard with Healer Morgan right behind him, nearly skipping with each step, while some of the newborn nurses followed in with various bits of equipment. The feeling in the air was different this time around. Draco and Hermione could both feel it. "Do you want me to call -"

"No," Hermione said. "I don't want anyone here. Not until…" a thick tear escaped from her eye as Draco brushed it away.

"Shhh, it's ok," he said. "We can wait."

Nurses began to walk around the bed, pulling out stirrups from the sides, helping Hermione situate herself as Dr. Whitlow and Healer Morgan helped each other don their sterilized gowns. Dr. Whitlow went and sat at the end of Hermione's bed on a stool, looking over the blankets and sterile drapes across her lap at her while Healer Morgan stood on the other side, just as they did sixteen months ago.

"_I don't want to do this," Hermione sobbed into Draco's chest as she clutched at the front of his shirt with her hands. "I can't, Draco, I just can't." _

_Draco hugged her as best as he could, a hand pressed into the back of her head as he cried silent tears of his own. "You have to," he managed to speak. "I'll be here with you. The whole time."_

"_I can't," she continued to sob, her entire body shaking. "I just can't do this." _

"_I know," Draco said, stifling his own sob. "But you have to." _

"Ok, Hermione," Dr. Whitlock said with a grin. "You can start pushing with the next contraction."

She nodded, biting her lip as she took a deep breath. Draco held her hand as he stood to her left, Healer Morgan held her other hand as she stood on Hermione's right. With the next contraction, Hermione winced, pushing her chin to her chest as Healer Morgan counted down from ten. "…five, four, three, two, one."

Panting, Hermione caught her breath for a minute or two as she felt Draco kiss her temple. "You're doing brilliant," he whispered.

Wincing, Hermione felt another contraction coming. Taking in a deep breath, she braced herself for the wave of pain tearing through her body as she pushed again, grinding her teeth together. She squeezed the blood out of Draco and Healer Morgan's hands as she felt the baby's head crowning. Catching her breath again, she leaned back into the pillows. Draco grabbed a cold cloth from one of the other nurses in the room and pressed it against her forehead, then her cheeks.

"_You're doing brilliant," Draco said, wiping her tears away with a washcloth as she stopped her pushing to catch her breath. He could see his wife was drained - both physically and emotionally - but Dr. Whitlock reassured them that all he needed was one more good push and the entire ordeal would be over. "I love you so much." _

"_I just - want this - to be - over!" she cried through her panting, shifting her upper body so that she could hold onto her husband for comfort. While she was numb from the pain, the pressure she was feeling was overwhelming her body and her emotions._

"_It's almost over," he promised, hugging her. "It's almost over." _

"And the head is out!" Dr. Whitlock exclaimed after a few more pushes. "Come on Hermione, give me another good push!"

Hermione gasped out loud, craning her head back as she caught her breath before squeezing Draco and Healer Morgan's hands again as she pushed. Dr. Whitlock narrated everything, from the first shoulder popping out to the second with another push. Bearing down a final time, Hermione pushed with all of her might and gasped as she felt her baby slide out of her body and into the hands of Dr. Whitlock. "It's a girl!" he exclaimed as Hermione collapsed backwards against the bed, breaking down into sobs. Two nurses came over, one of them suctioning the baby's mouth out while the other toweled her off. Upon the first loud cry from their daughter's tiny lungs, Draco began to cry as well, burying his face into Hermione's neck as he silently shook. Hermione weaved her arm around, dragging her hand through his hair, holding onto the locks as tears openly poured down her face.

They couldn't tell which tears they were shedding. Tears for a baby neither truly grieved properly for, or tears for their new baby, whose screams couldn't have sounded more brilliant to either's ears as the nurses took her over to the warming bed to clean her off properly before diapering and swaddling her. Probably both, if Draco had the mental capacity to analyze the moment properly. Draco composed himself somewhat, wiping his eyes and cheeks clean with the palms of his hand as he looked up at Hermione, who was looking at him, smiling her first, honest Hermione smile that he hadn't seen in sixteen months. He kissed her forehead, her nose, and her lips, pressing so tightly against her face he felt their tears connecting where the flushed skin of their cheeks met.

Pulling away, Draco brushed his hands through the sides of Hermione's sweaty, mussed hair and grinned. "It's a girl," he whispered.

Moments later, Healer Morgan appeared with their newly wrapped bundle appeared on the other side of Hermione, carefully holding the squalling baby in its crisp white blanket with a pink hat on her head. "I think someone wants their mummy," she whispered.

Sitting up a bit with Draco's help, Hermione took the baby from Healer Morgan and cradled her daughter in her arms, slightly rocking as she cooed softly. "Hi, baby," she said, stroking a finger against the soft skin of her daughter's cheek. "It's ok," she whispered, cuddling her close. "Mummy's here, sweetheart." Hermione took a good look at her daughter as she calmed down. Draco slid a finger around his daughter's hand, letting her grab a hold of it as she began to stare back at them. "She looks like you," Hermione whispered. "She has your nose…and your chin."

Draco laughed, sniffling a bit as he wiped tears from his eyes. "Let's hope she grows out of it, eh?"

Dr. Whitlock walked over, pulling his scrub cap off his head as he beamed brightly at the new parents. "You did great, Hermione," he said. "She's perfect - just as I said she would be. Seven pounds even, twenty-one inches long. Healer Morgan will help Hermione deliver the placenta while Nurse Katherine will help you see if we can't get the little one to latch on and start feeding, and in a little bit, we'll have the nurses bathe the baby and bring her back all shiny and clean."

Hermione nodded as Draco reached out a hand to Dr. Whitlock, who accepted. "Thank you," Draco said, some strength returning to his voice. "I appreciate…everything."

"Not a problem," Dr. Whitlock replied with a grin. "I'll come back and check on you in a few hours."

Nurse Katherine was already helping Hermione shed her hospital gown from the top, exposing one side of her chest as she showed Hermione how to position the baby and her nipple so that she could latch on successfully. Draco watched as she listened intently, no doubt memorizing every word the nurse was saying as if she was in school. He was itching to hold her, but he knew Hermione needed this, as did the baby, so he summoned his patience as he stood over Hermione and his daughter, stroking Hermione's head softly as they watched their baby latch on perfectly, her little cheeks moving quickly as she began to eat.

"She has your mouth too," Hermione joked, wincing a bit the pain of her daughter's forceful sucking.

Draco snorted. "Funny, Granger."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Come here," she said.

Bending down, she caught her lips with his, deepening the kiss just a bit before pulling back with a look of adoration. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you more," he whispered back.

"It's not possible," Hermione replied.

Laughing, Draco kissed her again. "Trust me, in this moment right now, it is a fact."

Hermione looked back down at her beautiful daughter and sighed contently. "You can tell your parents, and everyone else. Just…can you tell them to come in a few hours? I'm not ready to be bombarded."

"I'll call them later," Draco said. "It's just past four in the morning."

Yawning, Hermione nodded as Nurse Katherine helped show her how to detach the baby from one breast and switch to the other, talking about how it was important to try to spend the same amount of time on each breast.. Twenty minutes later, the placenta was delivered and the baby was whisked away to be bathed and printed for her birth certificate, but not before Draco held her, just for a brief moment.

"You need a name," he whispered, staring into her eyes as she stared back. "Mummy and I will come up with one soon though. I promise." Draco kissed her forehead and held her close to his chest as he swayed slowly back and forth. He didn't want to pass her off to the nurse waiting, but he knew he had to at some point. "You'll bring her back when she's done?" he asked.

The nurse nodded. "We usually try to let them sleep in the nursery but Dr. Whitlock gave us specific instructions to wheel her back in with you."

"Thanks," Draco replied. With a light kiss on his new baby's forehead, he passed her off and watched as they left the room.

Hermione was pulling her gown back up, trying to get herself situated in more comfortable position as Healer Morgan gave her a pain potion that was safe for her to take while breastfeeding but was more instantaneous relief than muggle medicine. Draco helped fluff and prop up pillows for her as she got comfortable. She patted the space the extra space in the large hospital bed with her hand. Removing his shoes, Draco carefully crawled in bed next to her as she curled into him. He wrapped his arms around her as she yawned.

"I'm so proud of you," he said, watching as her eyes fluttered shut, her face relaxing. "You were brilliant."

Hermione nodded, snuggling close. "Mmhmm."

"We need a name," he mumbled as he closed his eyes. "Since someone wouldn't let us come up with one prior."

"Shut it," Hermione mumbled back. "We'll come up with something."

_Hermione and Draco sat on the couch, watching a movie on the rainy Saturday afternoon. Hermione laid her head in Draco's lap as he had an arm draped over her side, a hand resting on her six-month pregnant belly. She'd been walking on eggshells ever since they made it past five months, despite numerous reassurances from her healer and her muggle doctor that everything was fine. It wasn't until Hermione realized she was pregnant again that she wondered if she made the right decision, as everything about this pregnancy terrified her. _

"_Are you sure you want to be surprised?" Draco asked, his hand rubbing her belly softly._

_She nodded. "I know you're going to tell me I'm being all detached again, but I'm not. I just want a baby. A healthy baby. I could care less what it is." _

_Draco moved his hand so that it was on top of hers as they both held her stomach. "What about names?" Draco asked, somewhat cautiously._

"_Draco…"_

"_I can't help that I'm excited," he said softly. "Or that I want to start decorating the nursery, or know what we're having or picking out a name. I know you're scared and I'm just as scared but what happened before was just a horrible…it just happens sometimes. Both the healer and the doctor said so. What happened wasn't anyone's fault. Nothing in your past caused this." _

_Hermione sniffled, staring aimlessly towards the telly. That's probably what angered her the most. Had it been because of dark magic she encountered during the war, like her healer warned, she would have had something, or someone to be angry with. But she had nothing. Draco was right in that regard – it was just a horrible thing that happened outside of anyone's control. "We didn't even have a name picked out for our son," she said, her voice quivering with each word. _

_That much was true, as his small headstone simply read "Baby Malfoy," resting next to his maternal grandparents. "This isn't going to be like last time," he said to his wife, squeezing her hand. _

"_I'm just not ready to think names," she said, her voice void of any emotion. "I'm sorry." _

"_It's alright," he replied, doing his best not to sound defeated. "We still have time." _

When his eyes opened again, a nurse was wheeling his daughter back into the room in her plastic bed, a pink card reading MALFOY printed on the front with her birthday underneath. "What time is it?" he whispered.

"Almost six," the nurse replied. She could see him eyeing his daughter while his wife slept soundly next to him. "Would you like to hold her?"

"Yes," he said immediately. Grinning, he carefully took his daughter from the nurse and placed the baby on her tummy against his chest, looking at her little face as she faced her mother, sucking away at her pacifier. With a protective arm and hand on her tiny back and another around his wife, he closed his eyes and felt himself somewhat relax. The breath he'd seemed to be holding since Hermione told him she was pregnant again was slowly deflating.

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><p>Harry couldn't sleep. His nerves were on edge from the moment Draco let him know that Hermione's water broke and that they were on their way to the hospital. Albus, who was currently cutting a handful of molars, wasn't sleeping well either unless he was snuggled up with a parent. Ginny was sleeping upstairs in one of the guest rooms in Draco's house with James, Lucius and Narcissa sleeping in another. They came over as soon as Draco notified them so that they could get the nursery ready – which Hermione couldn't bring herself to do.<p>

"_Don't 'but' me, Harry Potter," she warned as the two sat on a park bench together, a warming charm surrounding them on the crisp March day. Her due date was just a little bit more than a month away, her belly looking like a perfectly round beach ball attached to her petite frame. Harry took her out for some ice cream after having a discussion with Draco at work earlier that week. He was beyond frustrated with his wife, but didn't have the heart to push her into doing anything, so Harry offered to talk to her. _

_He dipped his spoon into his cardboard cup of chocolate chip ice cream and took a bite. "All I'm saying, is that I know you. And when this baby comes you're going to panic because you won't have anything ready."_

"_I'm not tempting fate."_

"_Being prepared isn't tempting fate."_

_Hermione shook her head, stabbing her strawberry ice cream with a spoon. "You don't know that."_

_Harry laughed. "Whatever, Hermione. I know you've been acting as if this baby inside you is a theory more than a reality, but I also know that if you didn't want to get pregnant, you would have done something to prevent it. You aren't stupid. You wanted to try again just as much as he did. Admit it."_

_Sighing, Hermione played with her spoon in the ice cream. "Draco wants children so bad…but we're both still trying to get over what happened…"_

"_No one wants you to get over it," Harry said softly. "It's going to stay with you. Just like your parents. You just have to learn how to deal with it. You lost a child, Hermione. That's not something anyone gets over. Ask Molly if you don't believe me."_

_Hermione placed a hand to her stomach as the baby kicked. Smiling softly, she closed her eyes as the baby kicked again. "All this baby does when it's awake is kick, I swear."_

_Harry laughed. "Maybe it's her way of saying that she wants her room finished."_

_Rolling her eyes, Hermione set her ice cream down on the bench. "Draco has you convinced it's a girl, I see."_

_He shrugged. "He has a feeling."_

"_Of course he does," Hermione replied._

Albus whimpered a bit in his sleep as Harry shifted him from the crook of his arm to holding him on his chest, his sleepy head resting on his father's shoulder. Reclined in the chair, Harry yawned as he rubbed a hand on Albus' back. He was excited for Draco and Hermione to see the nursery. It was painted light pink, with beautiful white baby furniture assembled and arranged by Ginny and Narcissa, doing their best to think like Hermione as they decided where to place things. Different pastel colored polka dots adorned the walls, as it matched the bedding and the polka dotted rocker that Draco found himself at a muggle baby shop a few weeks ago. It looked like an oversized chair with an ottoman to match but it swayed back and forth, which Draco thought Hermione would like when she would have to be up feeding the baby.

"_Are you sure you ought to be painting the room pink?" Harry asked his wife, who was prying open the cans of paint._

_Ginny smirked. "Yes."_

"_You're painting a room based on a hunch," Harry stated, instead of asking._

_Laughing, Ginny poured the paint into the tray and charmed the rollers to begin their work. "It's a girl – the doctor told Draco four months ago. He's just been keeping it a secret because Hermione doesn't want to know."_

_His shoulders dropped a bit. "But he told you."_

"_Because he knows you would have told her," Ginny replied. She walked over and gave her husband a sweet kiss on the lips. "Now – go help Lucius put together the furniture. Narcissa and Mum are helping Jori wash and fold all the clothes Draco's been collecting."_

_He gave his wife a mischievous grin. "You're awfully sexy when you're bossy, Mrs. Potter." _

_Laughing, Ginny kissed him again, this time their arms wrapping around one another as their kiss was less playful and more passionate. He thread his fingers through her long red locks and sighed as they pulled apart, staring into each other's eyes. "We're pretty lucky, aren't we?" she whispered as she held onto him._

_Harry smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears. "The luckiest."_

"Hi."

Harry cracked an eye open as he saw his wife standing over them, brushing a hand over Albus' head. "Hey – go back to sleep."

Ginny shook her head. "I will. I just came to check on my little one."

Nodding, Harry lessened his recline in the chair as Ginny knelt down next to him. "I missed this with James," Harry said.

"You had to work," Ginny softly countered. "You didn't miss everything."

"I missed a lot of things," Harry stated, somewhat remorsefully. "Things I wish I hadn't."

Ginny placed a reassuring hand on Harry's knee. "Yet it doesn't make him love you any less. James adores you, Harry. So will Albus."

Harry sighed, nodding a bit. "I still should have been there for you."

"I knew what I was getting into," Ginny replied. She knew that in the back of her mind, Harry didn't enjoy being away from their family. However, sometimes in the heat of an argument, she would forget it and say something she'd instantly regret. But it was moments like this that reminded her of how much he truly loved their children, and that the sacrifices they both had to make early in their marriage were worth it in the end. "Having a baby while you went through auror training, granted, wasn't our most brilliant of ideas, but we survived it, didn't we?"

"I guess," Harry replied. He glanced over at the clock on the wall. It was nearly six in the morning. "Do you think she's had the baby?"

Ginny shrugged as she stood back on her feet. "I'm not sure. Draco will probably call us in a little while either way. Why don't you put Albus down in the playroom and come back to bed with me and James?"

"I don't want to disturb Al," Harry replied, which was his way of telling his wife that he wanted to snuggle with his son a bit longer.

She leaned down and lightly kissed his lips, picking up the subtext of his statement. "Alright. I'm going to return to my cuddle bug upstairs. I love you."

"Love you too," he whispered. He watched her retreat towards the stairs before reclining back in the chair once more, allowing the sounds of his son's shallow breathing to lull him to sleep.

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><p>Upstairs in Draco's house, neither of his parents found a way to sleep. Narcissa sat propped up on the bed, putting the finishing touches on a cream-colored blanket she was knitting for their grandchild. Lucius sat in the window seat, gazing out into the dark streets of muggle London as he waited for the first few glimpses of daylight. He watched his wife as she moved her knitting needles in a swift and repetitive motion with the cheery yellow yarn in her lap. She hadn't knitted since the day before they buried their grandson, staying up all night to make him a small blanket.<p>

"_Cissa," he whispered, trying to coax her back to bed. "Tomorrow will be a long day and the children will need us at our best."_

_She shook his hand away from her shoulder as tears fell down her face. "It's almost finished. When it is done I will come to bed."_

_Lucius sighed. "Cissa –"_

"_Stop it!" his wife hissed. "Don't comfort me, don't tell me to stop, just don't. I am making a blanket for my grandson. He might need it. Maybe he'll need it. I don't know. But him having it will make me feel better and you telling me to stop isn't. So go to bed! I will be there when I am finished."_

"Stop staring,"

Lucius cracked a wry smile. "Darling, you can't possibly know that I'm staring at you if you aren't looking at me."

Narcissa looked up at him, continuing to knit as her eyes peered over her glasses. "We've been married for twenty six years, Lucius. I know when you're staring."

"Of course," Lucius replied, his gaze returning to the quiet streets through the window. "Can you believe they're having a girl? "

His wife grinned, her hands knitting away. "I think it's wonderful. The Malfoy line could use a shakeup, and a daughter would certainly do it. I for one, am looking forward to buying dresses instead of dragons."

Lucius wouldn't dare admit it aloud, but he was looking forward to having a granddaughter to dote upon. He'd been more of a father now to Draco since his return than he'd ever been in the past. He was also fiercely, albeit silently, protective of his daughter in law, as he looked at her as the glue that healed his family back together. She was the reason his relationship with his son improved daily. She was the reason he and his wife were able to find their way back to a happy place. Hermione always took the time to see things from his perspective, even if she didn't always agree with him.

Narcissa switched out her yarn from yellow to white to make a small border around the blanket. She remembered when she and Lucius came back from their holiday after the wedding. Lucius took her to Crete, where they stayed at in a rented villa on a wizarding resort and talked about everything. There were a lot of apologizes from her husband, many tears from both of them, but after two months away, they were ready to return to London in time for Christmas. Draco promised them some exciting news upon their return, making them even more anxious for their arrival. The two of them popped over to Draco and Hermione's home after they dropped their things off at their house.

"_We're in the kitchen!" she heard Draco shout._

_Brushing themselves off, Narcissa and Lucius walked into the kitchen and saw Hermione standing behind the kitchen island, wearing a grey, long sleeved shirt. Draco walked over to his parents, giving his mother a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She looked at her son and smiled. "Marriage suits you well," she said._

_Draco laughed. "Well, it helps that I have a pretty amazing wife." _

_Narcissa could see Hermione blush at her son's compliment, though she stayed in place behind the island. _

"_Did you have a nice vacation?" Hermione asked._

"_It was just what we needed," Narcissa replied. "Wasn't it, dear?" _

_Lucius nodded, and Narcissa felt him reach for her hand. "It was."_

_She could see her son was practically splitting at the seams, rocking back and forth on the heels of his feet. Draco looked back at Hermione, who grinned and gave him a nod. Draco walked back over towards Hermione and reached for her hand, pulling her from around the counter. When he did, she saw right away what had her son beaming as he blurted out, "We're having a baby!" _

"_A baby!" Narcissa couldn't help but exclaim, clapping her hands as she quickly embraced her daughter in law. She could feel the protruding bump between them as she hugged Hermione tight before holding her back at arm's length so she could take a good look. "How far along are you? Do you know what you're having? Why didn't you tell us sooner!" her questions rushed out of her mouth before she had a chance to reign them in._

_Hermione laughed, putting a hand on top of her bump. "Four months next week, we won't know what we're having until our January appointment, and we didn't tell you because we wanted you to enjoy your vacation." _

_Draco draped an arm around Hermione's waist. "We knew if we told you she was pregnant that you'd come back early." _

"_Four months…" Narcissa quickly added up the numbers in her head. _

"_I found out the night before the wedding," Hermione interjected. "The healer said she thought it would take us awhile to conceive so I stopped taking my potion but -"_

"_I have super sperm," Draco boasted, cutting his wife up as Narcissa swatted him in the chest. "Ow, Mother!" _

"_Don't say super…I can't even repeat it. It isn't proper."_

"_It was a bit crass," Lucius replied, though Narcissa could see that he was giving his son a look of approval. "Congratulations, son." _

_Narcissa nodded, standing on her tiptoes so that she could kiss her son's cheek. "Yes. Congratulations my sweet boy." She couldn't properly put into words what she was feeling at the idea of being a grandmother, but she couldn't wait to start helping Hermione shop and plan for the baby's arrival._

Lucius eventually came back to bed, and as Narcissa finished the border of her granddaughter's blanket, she put her knitting to the side. She didn't know how her husband could sleep. Of course, he was always better at shutting off his emotions when he needed to. Narcissa didn't know what she would have done with her son the day they learned the terrible news if Lucius hadn't been there. It was supposed to be a regular checkup, and Narcissa was going with them to learn the sex of the baby. Hermione was convinced it was a boy, while she and Draco were secretly hoping for a girl.

It was hard to forget that day. The look on the healer's face when her magic couldn't find a heartbeat. The look on Hermione's face when the muggle doctor used his machine to see if he could find the baby's heartbeat on the scratchy black and white screen. Narcissa excused herself for a moment, walking into the hallway before sending her patronus charm - a baby dragon - to her husband with a message to come quick.

At one point, she was certain her husband was the only thing keeping her son from hitting the floor as sobs racked his body in the hallway of the muggle hospital By that time, Harry and Ginny arrived, and were in the room with Hermione, crying with her as Draco excused himself. She knew her son didn't want to break down in front of his wife, so he did it front of them, tucked away in the corner of the hospital hallway. Narcissa had never seen such a tight grip around her son from her husband as Draco's gut wrenching cries were muffled by Lucius' chest and for nearly ten minutes before Lucius intervened.

"_It's going to be ok," Lucius said, his voice stoic and calm as Narcissa rubbed Draco's back with her hand. "You have to get it together. Hermione needs you." _

_Narcissa watched as her son nodded, his face still in his father's chest as he took in a few deep breaths, trying to compose himself. Eventually, he pulled away from his father and looked at her. She pulled a handkerchief from her purse and wiped his face, certain she hadn't done this since he was small. Narcissa braced her hands on his arms and swallowed her own cry as his shoulders dropped. "Your father is right," she said, softly. "She needs you right now." _

_He sniffled, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. "I don't even know what to say to her, Mum." _

_Draco hadn't called her 'mum' since he was five, and that was when her own dam of tears broke. "You'll be brave," she said, standing up straighter as she encouraged Draco to do the same. "There isn't anything to say except that you love her. Because you do." _

_He nodded, sniffling once more. She saw him look over her shoulder, so she turned around, seeing a red-eyed Harry standing a few feet away, scratching his lower lip with his thumb. "She's asking for you," Harry said, his own voice hoarse._

_As if those were the magic words, Narcissa watched her son's face snap back into focus. He dried his eyes for a final time and cleared his throat while yanking at the knot in his tie. "Thanks, Harry." _

_She gave her son a final hug, which he returned this time as normally as he would any other hug. "We will be waiting if you need us."_

_It would be nearly eight hours later before their grandson was born._

* * *

><p>Hermione woke up around eight-thirty at the sounds of Draco's voice speaking softly to their daughter. She cracked an eye open and watched as he cradled her carefully in the crook of his arm as her tiny hand grasped his index finger, alertly listening to the sound of her father's voice. Smiling at the sight before her, she closed her eyes again and listened to her husband.<p>

"We will have all sorts of adventures," Draco whispered to his daughter. "Of course, I'll be the one that teaches you how to fly. Your mummy is absolute rubbish at it. But don't worry - it's the only thing she isn't good at."

She laughed silently to herself. Draco was going to be an amazing father. She never had a doubt about it. He certainly deserved a medal after surviving these past sixteen months, from the death of their son to the birth of their daughter. Hermione did not intend to get pregnant for quite some time, despite Draco's desire to try again. It wasn't that she didn't want children, she just wasn't ready emotionally. Every day after her son's birth, she visited the cemetery, talking to him while asking her parents to watch after him. She wasn't overly religious, but Hermione believed in heaven and knew that he was there, playing with his grandparents. It comforted her to think that her parents were watching over him in a way, instead of him being there alone.

The six months following the loss of their child were six months she wished she could erase from their memories. If she wasn't crying she was sulking, or shouting. No one was safe from her breakdowns, her wrath, and Draco bore the brunt of it. But he didn't flinch. He never stopped saying he loved her, and he never stopped taking care of her. She became obsessed with going to the gym, heading there twice a day every day in order to get her body back in shape so that there wasn't any physical reminder of her stillborn son. Hermione started taking her contraception potion three months later when she felt ready to be intimate with Draco again. It took them awhile to find their rhythm. Hermione blamed it mostly on herself. She blamed most things on herself, despite Draco telling her to stop.

On the sixth month anniversary, Hermione couldn't take it anymore. Draco offered to do anything with her - anything that would take her mind off the day. This led to a fight, their first blow up since that fateful day at the hospital. The fight was her fault - and she would readily acknowledge that to anyone. Her husband was just trying to make her feel better and all she could do was yell and scream before disapparating from their house.

_She landed in Blaise's living room, startling him as he all but leapt off the couch._

"_Bloody hell, Granger - give a guy some warning will you!" he exclaimed._

_Hermione rolled her eyes and walked over to his liquor cabinet, grabbing an unopened bottle of fire whiskey and two shot glasses. She placed the glasses on the coffee table as she sat down on the floor on front of it, snapping the cap off the bottle and filling the two shot glasses. _

_Blaise didn't have to ask what her problem was. He and Draco talked about this day earlier in the week, and how she'd been on edge since the beginning of the week in anticipation of the emotional anniversary. "You know - respectable people don't start drinking until the afternoon at the very least." _

_She pushed the glass in front of him, her red crying eyes not unnoticed by Blaise. "If I was looking for respectable company, do you really think I would have found myself here?" _

_He laughed, picking up the shot glass. "Fair enough. Cheers, Granger."_

_She threw back the shot and swallowed, letting out a ghastly hiss as Blaise laughed, grabbing the bottle from her hand to refill the shots. "That tasted awful!" she exclaimed. _

"_What did you expect?" Blaise asked. "Pumpkin juice?" He handed her the refilled shot back and threw back the second, as did she. "It gets better the more you drink." _

_Hermione made a bitter face as she forced herself to swallow the amber liquid once again. "How much more?" _

_An hour or so later, Hermione somewhere between tipsy and drunk laid flat on her back, sprawled out on the oriental rug. Blaise stared at the girl, shaking his head at the sad sight before him. He figured about four shots in that Draco would kill him if he returned her completely passed out, so he diluted the alcohol from the bottle with his wand while she wasn't looking. "You know, Granger, drunk is not becoming on you." _

_She sat up a bit, propped upright by her elbows. "You're one to talk. Ever since Luna left, Draco says that alcohol seeps from your pores." _

"_He exaggerates," Blaise replied. "She's only gone for like, what, three more weeks?" _

"_I don't know," Hermione replied, her head bobbing slightly. "She's not my girlfriend. Therefore I don't keep track of her." She grabbed for her empty shot glass and handed it to Blaise, who confiscated it, and the bottle of fire whiskey. "Hey! I'm not done with that!" _

_Blaise laughed. "You really are."_

_She managed to pull herself up to her feet, throwing her hands to her hips as she glared at him with her glossy eyes. "You don't get to tell me when I'm done, Blaise Zabini!" _

"_It's for your own good," Blaise replied. "Trust me."_

_She threw her hands up in the air. "I am so…sick. Sick and tired of everyone telling me what's for my own good when none of you have…any idea what I am going through!" _

_Blaise shoved his hands into his pockets. "You know what, Hermione, you're right. No one experienced what you experienced. No one can tell you what to feel, or how to feel. They weren't the ones who had to birth a baby that was never going to get to see all the amazing things life had in store for him. They weren't in the hospital bed, they weren't laboring for eight miserable hours. It was you. It was all you." _

_Hermione's voice found itself stuck in her throat as she tried to speak. Instead, tears welled up in her eyes, and she couldn't tell if it was because she was drunk or because Blaise's words were puncturing the very core of her being as he continued. _

"_No one went through what you went through," he repeated. "But if memory serves me right, I believe you had a husband who was right there with you. He might not have been the one pushing the baby out - but he was right fucking there every step of the way! He lost a kid too that day, damn it!" _

"_Blaise…"_

"_Everyone's walking around not sure what to say to you because they think they're going to break you, but I'm not going to do that," Blaise said, his voice calming down a bit. "You have a husband who has been hurting just as much as you have, not that he's been acknowledged in this situation. He's been too busy taking care of you." He walked over to his liquor cabinet and pulled out a secret stash of sobering potions. Walking to Hermione, he popped the cork off and handed her the vial. "What happened to your son was a fluke. It wasn't dark magic. It was just shit luck. Nothing more." _

_She drank the potion, shaking her head as she swallowed. "Thanks," she mumbled._

_He pulled her into a hug before she could protest, waiting for her to relax in his embrace. "He loves you. Stop pushing him away," he whispered in her ear. Letting her go, he gave her a final nod of approval. "Go. Find your husband. Don't let this one bad moment ruin the rest of your lives."_

_Hermione gave Blaise a quick peck on the cheek before disapparating from his living room back to the place where she left Draco. Oddly enough, he was still there, only he was now asleep on the chaise in his office, an open book draped across his chest. He looked peaceful as he slept, but she could tell by his shallow breathing that he wasn't in that deep of a slumber. His blond locks felt slightly in his eyes, as he was once again in desperate need of a haircut. She walked over to him, lightly brushing his bangs from his forehead when his eyes fluttered open._

"_I'm sorry," she whispered. "For everything."_

_Draco sat up a bit, removing the book from his chest as he focused his eyes on her. "Where did you go?" _

_She looked down at the ground. "Blaise's. I got drunk, he yelled at me, then sobered me up." _

"_He yelled at you?" Draco asked, becoming alarmed. "Goddamnit -"_

_Hermione shook her head. "I deserved it." She sat down on the chaise next to him and sighed. "You would think of all the other horrific things I've had to handle in my life, I would be better at coping with a loss but I'm not. I've taken so much out on you and never once gave thought to the fact that you're grieving too." He opened his arms up to her and Hermione crawled into his embrace, hugging him tightly for the first time in what felt like forever. After what felt like an eternity, Hermione looked up at him, brushing a hand against his cheek. "Forgive me?" she asked. "Please?" _

"_I forgive you," he replied, his lips meeting hers._

_It was slow and soft, a kiss filled with unspoken apologies and unwavering devotion. It was the same sort of languid kiss they fell into after their fights in the past, before they lost their baby and their biggest problems stemmed from the inability to throw clothes in a hamper, or drinking the last of the juice yet replacing the empty container in the fridge. Pulling away from him, Hermione climbed off her husband and grabbed his hands. "Come on," she whispered, with a look in her eyes Draco hadn't seen in ages._

"_Hermione, I -"_

"_I can't promise that I'm fixed," she whispered. "Or that I'll stop being emotional, or crazy."_

_Draco laughed lightly. "Was that something you were trying to stop previously?" _

"_Funny," she said, giggling a little as she pulled him out of the office and down the stairs to the second floor, stopping in front of their bedroom. Before they entered, she looked up at him, her arms wrapping around his neck. "Make love to me," she whispered. "Like we used to, before everything went all pear shaped and broken. Let's go back…let's go back to not practicing."_

_She didn't have to say another word. Draco swept her up into his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he barged into their bedroom, kicking the door shut before carrying her to the bed. They both stripped each other of their clothing in a feral manner, not caring what was ripped just as long as it was discarded. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she felt so aroused as the touch of her husband, whose fingers, were caressing her naked sides as she made short work of removing his pants and boxers. _

"_Wait – did you say you were drinking with Blaise?" _

_Hermione tugged at his belt before unbuttoning his pants. "Yes – but that's really not important at the moment, don't you agree?"_

_He unclasped the back of her bra with one hand and peeled it away. "Right."_

_Naked with desire, Draco ran his hands up and down his wife's body, lavishing each breast with attention as she grasped at the hair on his head with her hands. Her fingers massaging his scalp, she could feel herself wet with anticipation between her folds. His kisses trailed farther south until his tongue dipped between her folds as she moaned loudly. "Please!" she exclaimed, his tongue flickering against her sensitive center. "Please!" _

_He didn't think it would take long for her to cum. Their spells between sexual encounters were now weeks at a time instead of what used to be days. Draco was perfectly content nowadays when she allowed him to hold her as she slept. His tongue still teasing her, he slipped two fingers inside of her and felt her buck her hips, thrusting herself onto them as she cried. Draco's own erection was hard, waiting desperately for her to cum so that he could slide into her. _

"_Draco I'm cuming!" she panted, and he rubbed her center a bit harder before he felt her release, soaking his fingers. He rubbed her juices on his fingers onto his erection, watching as she caught her breath. _

_He moved a bit so that he was right at her entrance, ready to move. "You sure about this?" he asked. "Not practicing?"_

_She nodded, a tear escaping her eye. "I need this," Hermione whispered. "I need you." _

_He pressed his lips to hers as he slowly slid into her. Tight around him, he continued to snog her senseless as he moved in and out of her, their lovemaking slow and deliberate as their hands ran up and down each other's bodies. They whispered affirmations of their love and apologies to one another as they moved together, finding their rhythm they'd been searching for these past three months. Every thrust Hermione felt to the tips of her toes, every gasp of hers pushing Draco closer to the edge. _

"_I want to turn around," she whispered in his ear, her teeth grazing against his earlobe. "Make me cum again, Draco." _

_Draco stopped and pulled out of her quickly, watching as she rolled over onto her stomach before propping herself up on her hands and knees. He slid into her again, moaning at the change in angle as he grabbed ahold of her hips. It only took a few thrusts for Hermione to feel the pressure building once again in the pit of her stomach. "Let me know when you're close," he grunted out. "I'm not sure how much longer…"_

"_I'm almost there," she gasped. "Move faster." _

_He obeyed her command as she picked up her own rhythm, moaning with each thrust. He increased his speed even more, panting hard as he felt his release building. As she shouted his name at the top of her lungs, releasing once more, he felt himself cum, his erection jerking hard against her movements as he rode out his orgasm, slowing his pace just a bit until it was over. Pulling out of her, he crawled off the bed and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her into the shower, and a half hour later they were back in bed, a tangled heap of arms and legs, as they slowly found their way back to each other._

Hermione opened her eyes again and saw Draco sitting up on the bed, holding the baby in front of him as if he were admiring a trophy of sorts, despite the fussy face she was making. The clock on the wall ticked closer to nine o'clock. Yawning, she caught Draco's attention as he looked at her.

"I think she's getting hungry," Draco said.

She sat up in the bed a bit, wincing just a little as she unsnapped the top of her hospital gown so she could feed her daughter. With a breast exposed, Hermione leaned over and carefully took her from Draco's arms and positioned her just like the nurses showed her and like a pro, her baby latched on and began to feed. "Ginny wasn't kidding when she said breastfeeding was painful," she said with a tired laugh. "Apparently someone was hungry, wasn't she?"

Draco watched, resting a chin on Hermione's shoulder as his daughter looked perfectly content with life. "I'm a little concerned that she doesn't have any hair," he confessed unexpectedly.

Hermione chuckled a little bit, taking a hand and carefully removing her pink hat. She had hair, there just wasn't much of it, and what was there was as blond as her father's was. "She'll grow hair, sweetheart, I promise."

"She needs a name," Draco sighed.

Hermione agreed, brushing a hand over her daughter's perfectly round head. "Any suggestions?"

"I like the name Harper," he said.

"Harper?" she repeated.

"Do you not like it?"

"I didn't say that," Hermione replied. "I just didn't expect such a…I don't know, muggle sounding name."

Draco chuckled a bit, his gaze never leaving his daughter. "Remember when I proposed to you that day at Hogwarts?"

She nodded. "Not exactly a forgettable day."

"There was a muggle witch there who was practically bursting at the seams for your autograph. Her name was Harper and I don't know…the name kind of just stuck with me."

Hermione remembered the little witch, with all of her confidence as she watched her autograph the book, and how Draco told her that she reminded him of someone he once knew with a knowing smile on his face. "Harper," she repeated, staring at the little girl. "Harper Grace."

"Grace?"

"That was my name," she whispered. "The name I had picked out if the baby was a girl."

Draco kissed her shoulder. "Harper Grace Malfoy it is." He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and watched as Hermione switched his daughter from one breast to the other, as if she'd done it a thousand times before. She really was good at everything – except flying a broom, of course. "We should probably call everyone before they start crawling up the wall, I reckon."

Hermione laughed. "Are you ready to meet everyone, Harper? Because there are a handful of people just itching to meet you."

* * *

><p>Hermione managed to get in a quick shower and changed into the nightdress she packed in her overnight bag with Draco's help before their friends and family arrived, while Harper napped like a good little baby in her hospital bassinet. At ten o'clock on the dot, the two of them were back in bed admiring their daughter as she slept in Draco's arms when they heard a knock on the door.<p>

"Can we come in?" Narcissa asked, her head peeking through the door.

Hermione nodded, waving her in as she led the visiting train of Lucius, Harry, Ginny, James, Albus, Molly, and Arthur inside the room. Ginny picked up Albus and Harry picked up James so they could see as Draco carefully climbed off the bed and handed his daughter to his mother. "Everyone, meet Harper Grace Malfoy," Draco said.

Narcissa couldn't help but coo as she held the little bundle in her arms, admiring how gorgeous her little face was as it peeked out from the blanket she was tightly swaddled in. "Oh my Merlin, Hermione, she's beautiful!"

Beaming, Hermione grabbed ahold of Draco's hand as he sat back down next to her on the bed. "She is stunning, isn't she?"

Molly walked over to Hermione's side of the bed and placed a kiss on her forehead. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm feeling ok," Hermione replied. "Just a little sore."

"I've made a ton of food that's waiting for you at the house so you don't have to worry about cooking," Molly said, fussing over Hermione as she fluffed her pillows a bit. "Ron and Pansy send their love - they're still on holiday in Scotland. George says he and Angelina will come by once you're all home and settled."

Arthur moved over towards Hermione, pushing past his wife as he kissed Hermione's cheek. "She's beautiful - just like her mother."

"I'm afraid she doesn't look much like me," Hermione admitted. "Harper appears to favor her father in the looks department."

"She looks like her grandmother," Lucius replied, plucking the child out of Narcissa's arm to take a closer look at his new granddaughter. Hermione had never seen Lucius look at anyone the way he was looking at her daughter. "See, darling," he said to his wife. "She has your nose and your lips."

Narcissa beamed with pride. "Just like Draco did when he was a baby." She looked over at her son and tapped a hand over her heart, Draco acknowledging her unspoken sentiment with a nod and a smile.

"Baby!" Albus exclaimed, pointing towards Lucius and Harper.

"Shhh," Ginny said sweetly. "The baby is sleeping. We have to be really quiet."

Albus pushed a finger to his lips and emulated his mother. "Shh! Shh! Baby!" he excitedly whispered.

"I want to hold her, Daddy," James said, patting on Harry's shoulder. "Can I hold her?"

Harry nodded, setting him down on the end of Hermione's bed. "You can have your turn in a minute, buddy."

James scowled at the idea of waiting. Patience was a virtue he was having an issue as of late, much to Harry and Ginny's overall chagrin. Hermione and Draco watched as their daughter was fawned over by everyone in the room, each of them admiring her for a few minutes before passing her along to the next person. Ginny sat down in a chair, helping James hold the baby once it was her turn, gently reminded him to support her head as she stirred a little bit in her sleep. Harry stood next to Hermione, watching as his son sat in awe of the little girl.

"Hi, Harper…I'm James. We're going to be good friends." James whispered. He looked over at his father and grinned. "She's so pretty,"

"She is," Harry agreed. He turned back to face his best friend, his sister, and hugged her tight. "You did great," he whispered in Hermione's ear, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Your parents would be so proud."

She nodded in agreement. "They would have adored her."

Harper started to cry, and James's eyes went wide with terror. "Uh…someone should take her, I don't think she likes me anymore," he said nervously, as her whimpers grew to wails.

Harry laughed, walking over and scooping the squalling infant out of his son's arms. As soon as he rocked her gently, her wails died down. "She's just used to feeling movement," Harry whispered. "You were the same way when you were born."

James looked at his dad. "I was?"

He nodded. "You always wanted to be moving, and weren't content unless someone was rocking you." Harry grazed a hand over her bald head and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "Either that or she just really wanted her Uncle Harry to hold her." Harry looked over at Draco, a hand still grazing Harper's head. "She doesn't have any hair."

"That's what I said!" Draco replied.

"She'll grow hair," Hermione said with exasperation.

"Not all children come out with hair," Ginny added.

Harry smirked. "Mine did."

"Well, well, tack on another point for the Chosen One," Draco mocked. He was resisting the urge to snatch his daughter back, as he was done sharing Harper. However, he knew his wife would smack him for such an impolite action so instead; he wrapped an arm around Hermione and kissed the top of her head as she relaxed into his one armed embrace.

He could hardly hold back his sobs the last time they were all gathered in a hospital room as his parents carefully held their son as he and Hermione sat just as they were in this moment. At one point, he wanted to leave, so that Hermione couldn't see him break down, but her hands clutched at the fabric of his shirt so tight that leaving wasn't an option.

_Draco looked at Harry, his eyes pleading to the point of embarrassment for him to help. With tears in his own eyes, Harry walked over to Draco's side of the bed, carefully pulling her hands from his shirt and switching places with him as Draco climbed off the bed. He felt the room closing in on him, and it was making it hard for him to breathe. Blaise was off in the corner with a nurse, taking instructions on paperwork and other things that would need to be relayed to the grieving couple once they collected themselves a bit. _

_He heard Ginny call out to him as he dashed down the hallway, but he couldn't stop walking. She finally caught up to him, snagging his arm as she dragged him into an empty waiting room, shutting the door behind them. Casting a silencing charm around the room, she looked at her heartbroken friend._

"_Get it out of your system," Ginny said quietly. "No one will hear you." _

_Draco sank to his knees and sobbed loudly, his face in his hands. "I don't even – I don't know – what I am supposed to say to her?" he asked, his words stammering through his sobs. _

_Ginny locked the door with her wand and knelt down in front of Draco. She braced her hands against his shoulders as he continued to sob. "There is nothing to say," Ginny said, her own voice thick with emotion. "There's nothing that can be done. You just have to be there for each other." _

_He wiped his nose on his sleeve, his body heaving as he breathed. "This wasn't supposed – to be another thing – she had to survive. This wasn't supposed to be like this! This isn't fair! Why her! She's never done anything wrong! Anything bad! But bad things happen to her! Life can punish me for my mistakes – but it shouldn't affect her!" _

"_This isn't your fault!" Ginny exclaimed. "This is no one's fault – the doctor and healer said so themselves! The cord…it was just tangled. There was nothing anyone could do!"_

_He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, catching tears from the sides of his cheek. "I have to go back in there. I have to be there for her. But I don't know how because I feel like I'm going to explode." _

_She wrapped her arms around Draco and he hugged her back just as fierce, crying into her shoulder as Ginny did her best to soothe him. This was how they sat for a few minutes, not saying anything as there was nothing to say. Finally, Draco sniffled for the final time and stood up, helping Ginny to her feet as he held her hands. _

"_Ginny I…"_

"_Don't worry about it," she said, squeezing his hands._

Ginny stole the baby from her husband and walked with her over towards Draco, lightly rocking as she moved. "You know, I've seen pictures of your mother in old yearbooks at Hogwarts. If Harper is half as beautiful as your mother was – you're in for a world of trouble when the boys come around, Mister Malfoy."

Draco snarled his lip at bit at the thought. "Don't scare him," Hermione said with a laugh.

"I'm just saying, she's going to be quite the beauty. I can sense it. And the boys will come a' knockin…"

"Merlin help you if she meets a boy like you," Harry teased, egging his wife on as everyone chuckled – everyone but Draco, who took his daughter from Ginny and nestled her back against his chest.

He kissed the top of her head and took her pink hat that Hermione had been holding, placing it back on her hairless head. "Don't listen to them," he whispered. "Because boys are yucky and gross."

"Hey!" James exclaimed, offended as a six year old could be. "I'm not gross."

"You and your brother can be the exception to the rule," Draco said. "But you'll help me keep all the other gross boys away from her, won't you James?"

Nodding, James pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. "Definitely." Just then, the door opened, and Blaise walked in, carrying a large bouquet of balloons and a giant stuffed bear. "Should we start with Blaise?"

"What?" Blaise asked as the adults laughed at James' joke. "I'm sorry I'm late – I had to pick up some things and Luna left again this morning to search for Merlin only knows what with her dad."

Hermione laughed as he made his way through the adults, dropping the giant stuffed bear on the end of the bed. Molly took the balloons from him, shaking her head as she tied them to a chair in the far corner of the room. Blaise unbuttoned his jacket and looked at the baby in awe. Albus was a little bit older when he met him, and this was the first newborn baby he'd ever seen up close. He was mesmerized by her eyes, staring right back at him as she sucked on her pacifier.

"Well…look at that," Blaise finally said. "What's her name?"

"Harper Grace Malfoy," Hermione said, soft but proud.

Blaise grinned as he gently touched her cheek with his finger. "Do you want to hold her?" Draco asked.

He shook his head no, still staring at Harper. "I will break her."

"You won't break her," Draco reassured him.

"Yeah…no. I'm perfectly fine where I am right here. Maybe later…when I'm standing on softer ground or something. Just in case, because she looks pretty breakable."

Hermione laughed. "Sounds like a plan."

"Chicken," Harry remarked.

"Ass," Blaise snarked back, a smirk on his face.

"Galleon!" James exclaimed.

Blaise rolled his eyes. "Stick it on my tab, James."

"You're up to twenty, now," James replied. "Just in case you wanted to know."

Everyone stayed in the room, visiting a bit longer until they were all shooed away by the nurse, who was insistent that the baby and the mother get some much-needed rest. Hermione asked Molly and Narcissa if they would come to the house in the morning when they were discharged to help get them all settled. Narcissa of course didn't plan to be anywhere else, but Molly teared up at the request. Molly loved Hermione as if she was one of her own, and she knew that Hermione wanted her and Arthur to be surrogate grandparents to their children, which they accepted as a favor to Hermione's parents.

Much to Draco's chagrin, the nurse insisted on taking the baby back to the nursery for another bath, due to the amount of people in the room and the germs that were more than likely floating about. "Catch a nap with your wife," she insisted. "And enjoy it. We'll bring her back when she gets hungry, I promise."

"It's ok, Draco," Hermione said, stifling a yawn. "I could use a nap…and maybe some more pain medicine."

"We will send Dr. Whitlock's trainee back in for your medicine," the nurse replied. Hermione knew she was referring to her Healer, which the nurses were told was a doctor in training so that there wasn't any more explained than necessary.

Healer Morgan came in, giving Hermione another pain potion and another bout of congratulations before leaving Draco and Hermione with just each other. Draco adjusted her blankets and pulled them up over her shoulder as she curled up against his chest. He rubbed her blanket-clad arm as she yawned again. They relished in the silence of the room and how the air didn't feel like it was carrying the weight of the world that had once crashed around them. Sighing, Hermione looked up at Draco as he laid back against the raised bed, resting his eyes. "Is it possible to be happy and sad at the same time?" she asked.

He didn't open his eyes, but he tightened his hold and sighed. "Yes," was his soft, simple answer. "Our daughter is healthy, beautiful, and already loved by more people than I think I ever was at that age. But I still feel sadness, for our son. I think we always will to an extent. He was our first child, Hermione. Nothing will change that."

"I know," she replied, holding her husband as she yawned. "Draco?"

"Yes dear."

"I love you," she whispered. "I never would have gotten through any of this without you."

He kissed the top of her head. "That make two of us," he replied. "I love you."

Both of them drifted off to sleep as another chapter of their life ended while another one began.


	2. Chapter 2

_**First of all - 70 reviews on the first chapter - that's insane! Overwhelmed doesn't even begin to describe what I felt. I was also so touched by the PMs that were also sent and I responded to all of them. **_

**_Also - it's graduation week (yay for finishing graduate school!) - so while I hope to have another chapter up this week, I might not. So bear with me please! I also plan on doing small time jumps, then bigger ones as the story progresses, so I figured I'd throw that disclaimer out there before some of you all went WHAT._**

**_Anyway - this is kind of part two of chapter one - some of you asked for some more perspectives, so I felt like I owed it to those that asked to write them. With that said, I hope you enjoy Chapter 2!_**

* * *

><p>Hermione wasn't thrilled about staying at the hospital for the next forty-eight hours, but she soon realized that it was a losing battle. Not with her healer or her doctor, so much, but her husband, who wasn't budging an inch on the issue at hand. She desperately wanted to sleep in her own bed, to take a hot bath, and not inhale the overwhelming disinfectant smell that was hospital. Her husband had experienced somewhat of a personality shift since his daughter came into the world - a shift that hadn't gone unnoticed by Hermione. Since her miscarriage, he'd become rather passive when it came to anything she said, and she chalked that up to the fact that her irritability level was at unchartable levels. She would have been the same way if she thought anything she said or did to Draco had a fifty-fifty chance of any sort of backlash.<p>

When she told herself that day after Blaise's thorough tongue lashing that she wanted to try again that she wanted to try to get pregnant again, she convinced herself that another baby would help her heal. A new baby couldn't heal the hole in her soul completely, but it could help mend her broken heart. It didn't take them long to get pregnant again, and Hermione didn't know why she had the slightest thought that it would, considering that her body didn't waste any time on the first try. Her own personality shift when she found out she was pregnant went from irritability to paranoia over everything. Hermione knew she was out of her mind with some of the worst-case scenarios that came to her mind on her bad days, but she couldn't stop her mind from going there.

Harry once said to her and Ron during their hunt for horcruxes that there was no point in making a plan - because that's all they did. They would sit and come up with a plan, and it would somehow all go to hell in the worst possible manner. This echoed almost daily in the back of Hermione's head when she got even the slightest urge to plan for the new baby. Planning in her warped train of thought meant that she was setting herself up for disappointment, and Hermione knew that if she lost this baby too, she most certainly would not survive it. She would have literally lost her mind.

She felt bad when she squashed whatever urge Draco had to plan - whether it was finding out the sex of the baby, preparing the nursery, or choosing a name. Hermione didn't want any part of it. She didn't want a baby shower, she didn't want people sending gifts to the house - she wanted life to continue as it would if she weren't waddling around with a protruding belly. Draco kept telling her that he didn't like that she was 'detached' from the pregnancy. Hermione would snap back with the fact that he had no place to tell her how to feel because he wasn't the pregnant one. So Draco did what any smart husband would do, and left it alone. Hermione knew he was probably purchasing baby things, and he probably had a stash of baby furniture somewhere hidden at his parents' house so she wouldn't see. She knew her husband. Despite his demure attitude about the baby in her presence, she knew that he was bursting at the seams. After all, it wasn't any secret that he wanted a family. Hermione wanted a family too - she just didn't know how to release all the pain that somehow managed to store itself at the forefront of her mind so that she could enjoy the experience that was cut so unfairly short for both her and Draco.

However, the moment Hermione looked at her daughter, she felt her heart begin to mend. She was staring into the eyes of something that was going to be bigger than anything she would ever do in life. The unadulterated love that poured from her soul as she held her child was different from the love she felt when she held her first baby. The love she felt then was laced with sorrow for everything that was taken away too soon. When Hermione stared at her daughter, she felt the sorrow slip away from the child she lost and instead, found herself missing him like she missed her parents, during moments where she wished to have them in her presence the most. Much like she would always miss her parents - from the littlest daily occurrence that would trigger a memory to the momentous occasions of life, she would now add her son to the list. When she looked at Harper, she felt as if everything she'd experienced in the past sixteen months was now light years away. The little bundle of joy with her tiny fingers, tiny toes, and her Malfoy pointed nose, unknowingly saved Hermione, and allowed her to see the future she wanted.

Draco, on the other hand, turned into an overprotective papa bear the moment he held his daughter. He was protective of Hermione before he realized it when she walked back into his life. But now, his protective senses were heightened into overdrive. He let Hermione brood and mood all she wanted during this pregnancy and suppressed the urge on more than one occasion to shake her out of her funk. He did what he had to do to get Hermione through this pregnancy, and now that she was ok, and his daughter was here, Draco was going to listen and follow whatever rules, procedures, or policies when it came to what was best for his family. He would protect them in any way he could.

And if that meant that Hermione and Harper spent the next forty-eight hours in the hospital for observation, then that's what she was going to do and Draco would be damned if she did anything else.

"Please?" Hermione asked, begging as she held Draco's hand. "I would be so much more comfortable at home."

He squeezed her hand and gave her a smile. "Nope. This is what they recommend, and this is what we're doing."

She huffed, not having a more mature response at the moment. "I feel fine."

"As much as I love you," Draco began to say, "You don't get a vote. You both will be home soon enough, and you should take advantage of this and rest. You've been stressed out for much too long. A little bit of rest and help won't kill you."

"It might," Hermione replied.

"It won't," Draco reassured her.

He let her throw herself into her work during this pregnancy, despite his hesitation, but there were days that Draco was convinced that her job saved her sanity. She was back to work four weeks after her miscarriage, throwing herself into the remaining work needed to be done during the last two events of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. There had never been a better tournament in anyone's opinion that was worth listening to, and the three schools represented, as well as Hermione's counterparts at the other two schools had nothing but high praise for what Hermione managed to coordinate and plan. Her new pet project at work, which was ready and implemented around the same time she was pregnant again, was the wizard exchange program. She spent all summer putting it together and seeking student volunteers for the pilot program. The program was currently functioning without a hitch and was well received by all three schools.

Now that the baby was here, Draco's tune had changed. He'd always wanted his way before - it was a Malfoy trait to be particular in having things done their way with zero discussion. The only change this time around was that his wishes weren't spat with a voice filled with disdain. Instead, he spoke to Hermione as calmly and as lovingly as possible, all the while leaving zero room for argument. He wanted what was best for his family - and at the moment, someone who spent time and training in an area he knew little about said that what was best for Hermione was to stay in the hospital for the next forty-eight hours, so Draco was taking their word for it.

He sat next to her on the hospital bed while Hermione fed Harper. She yawned, stifling it a bit, as she turned her face into her upper arm while Draco softly rubbed her neck. "How long are you going to be at work today?" she asked.

"Usual time," Draco replied, somewhat dejectedly. "Just today and tomorrow so I can get my affairs in order and cases reassigned so that I'm not bothered when I take my vacation time."

Hermione nodded. She didn't expect him to take the next two months off from work, but she also wasn't entirely shocked when he told her. She knew he wasn't going to enjoy being at work the next two days, and Hermione almost felt bad for anyone who had to work with him, because he certainly wasn't going to be in a good mood as he'd be away from her, and more importantly, Harper. As Harper finished feeding, Hermione held her upright, patting her back lightly until she was properly burped, just as the nurse showed her.

"Here," she said, draping a spit rag over the shoulder of his crisp white shirt.

"Why do I need this?" Draco asked.

"Because I'm assuming you would like to hold her before you leave, and I'd prefer not to see you make a face if she spits up all over your clean clothes. I know how you feel about vomit."

Draco grimaced at the thought. "Good call, dear." He perched Harper against his chest and rubbed a hand on her back, pressing a kiss to her tiny, pink-capped head. "Daddy is going to miss you horribly today, Harper Grace," he whispered. "And tomorrow, but then Daddy's going to be home with you every day for a while, so don't do anything exciting until I can see it."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She eats, poops, and sleeps, Draco. I don't see it getting much more exciting than that for a while."

Draco gave his wife a pointed stare. "You don't know that. She's our daughter - so naturally, she's predispositioned to be brilliant."

Laughing, Hermione stole a kiss from her husband. "If she does anything brilliant, I promise to have photographic evidence of it upon your return."

"Thank you," Draco replied, kissing Hermione again. Reluctantly, he handed her back to Hermione, but not before giving Harper a kiss on the forehead. "You better enjoy holding her while I'm gone," he playfully warned Hermione. "Because when I come back tonight she's all mine."

Nodding, Hermione settled back against the pillows on her reclined bed and held her daughter to her chest. "Of course, sweetheart."

"I also brought you that pair of pajama pants of mine you like to steal - the flannel ones - to wear under your night dress since none of your pants fit comfortably," Draco said, pointing to the small suitcase in the corner of the room.

She smiled at him as she inhaled the perfect newborn scent of her daughter - a mixture of baby powder and baby lotion. "Your daddy is much too sweet to your mummy," she whispered, her eyes locked on Draco's.

"Daddy's aware," Draco teased as he stood up from her bed. "I love you. If you need anything - "

"We'll be fine," Hermione reassured him. "I'm hoping your mother comes by at some point today to discuss nursery plans. If anyone can pull it together before we…get home…" her words slowly halted as she saw the mischievous look in her husband's eye. "There's already a nursery at home, ready to go, isn't there?"

Draco gave a small hint of a nod. "I've been planning it for weeks. But if you don't like any of it when you see it we can change it," he quickly added.

She shook her head. "I'm sure it's perfect. Now go to work - you're going to be late."

He kissed her one final time, and then Harper. "I love you both."

"We love you too," she replied through another exhausted yawn. Hermione watched him walk to the door and hesitate for a moment before opening it. "Draco…go," she softly encouraged.

Draco looked back and gave her a wink and nod. He didn't speak, for fear his voice would give away what his wife already knew.

* * *

><p>Lucius quietly walked into the hospital room, finding his daughter in law sound asleep under a pile of blankets. Upon his arrival at the hospital, one of her nurses recognized him and asked if he'd like the baby to be brought back into the room. He did his best from looking at the woman as if she asked the world's dumbest question and nodded. He felt incredibly naked without his cloak, but Narcissa said that muggles weren't the cloak wearing kind, and if he wore one at the hospital people would look at him oddly. He sat down in the chair near her bed, setting the bag of food he brought along with him on the floor.<p>

She looked peaceful as she slept, a far cry from what she used to look like during her six-month bout of sheer misery. Lucius would often sit in the study with her during the days and months following her miscarriage. He knew she didn't want anyone to say anything to her, and it was a feeling he could relate to. Sometimes, the best company was the silent kind, and Lucius managed to become well versed in the art of silence while he was 'away,' and even upon his return.

He didn't understand the conversations Draco and Hermione managed to have, speaking without really speaking when they consoled one another about their loss. He was baffled at whatever it was that they were referring to without saying it outright until one day, Harry explained it to him.

"_Hermione's healer scared the hell out of her when she talked to her about getting pregnant. Said that women who had unforgivables used on them during the war were having…complications. This was one of them." _

_Lucius paled, as the two stood in Harry's study. "So you're saying," Lucius said carefully, forcing the words out of his mouth. "That Bellatrix - "_

"_No," Harry quickly replied. "The healer ran a series of tests before the muggle doctor took over. Dark magic wasn't involved. What happened just happens sometimes."_

"_But you're saying that there's always going to be a possibility," Lucius said, suppressing the queasy feeling that was brewing in the pit of his stomach._

_Harry shrugged. "It's just something a few healers have noticed and Hermione's healer wanted her to be aware because she knows Hermione likes to know everything." He braced a hand on the older man's shoulder. "You don't look well, Mr. Malfoy." _

_Lucius shook his head. "I'm fine, Potter." _

But he wasn't fine. Not in the slightest. Lucius had become a master at suppressing, and sometimes removing the feeling of guilt from his mind but this hit a nerve he wasn't aware that he had. He knew he was a horrible father to Draco, and he made peace with that mistake. But even he would be lying if he said the screams of Hermione Granger on the floor of his former home didn't haunt him from time to time - even more so now that she was a part of his everyday life. By the time the snatchers brought the three of them to the Manor, he was physically and emotionally broken by Voldermort. During the war, it was the first time he felt an emotional attachment to his son - to protect him - and it was a feeling he wished he had allowed himself to feel before allowing him to be branded with the Dark Mark.

Draco went back to work shortly after the miscarriage. Staying in the house drove him mad, and Lucius knew his son was frustrated to his limits at not being able to do anything right for his wife. Draco lined up a variety of visitors to the house so that Hermione wasn't alone during the day, but after two days of it, Draco came to Lucius and Narcissa's house ready to break something. Neither Lucius nor his wife did anything - they let him fume and stew for about an hour, waiting for him to speak when he was ready.

"_She only wants you to come to the house, if I insist on someone being there - which I do. She wants you." _

_Lucius looked at his son as if he'd truly lost his mind. "Me? You're sure she doesn't want your mother." _

_Draco let out a bitter laugh. "She said, and I quote, 'if you're going to send a fucking babysitter to watch me sob all day, you could at least send your father. At least he knows when to keep his bloody mouth shut.' So…will you? Please?"_

_He felt uncomfortable about accepting the offer. He didn't know what to do at all with a crying woman._

"_I'd also like to add that I've never asked you for anything, ever," Draco threw in for good measure. "And it's the very least you could do. For me. Your son." _

Lucius went dutifully, arriving by floo every morning before Draco left. All he'd ever say to him before he left was _thank you_, and _see if she'll eat something today_. He would have Jori prepare her food - which was quite the production to watch as the house elf was just as distraught as Draco and Hermione. Lucius knew house elves had a high capacity to care for their master. He rightfully attributed any common decency his son learned as a child to Dobby. Jori might have been second to his own wife in the tears that were shed over the tragedy, the first of course being his daughter in law.

Sometimes they would sit in the living room in silence. Sometimes they would browse through the books in the study and read in silence. If Hermione wasn't crying, she was sleeping during the first two weeks after they buried their son. She barely touched food, which turned into a sore source of contention between him and his son.

"_How hard is it to make her eat?" Draco hissed. "I asked you to do one thing and you can't even do it!"_

"_I'm not going to force food down her throat, Draco. She will eat when she's hungry." _

"_She needs to eat!" _

_Lucius took a deep breath, trying his best not to lose his temper with his son. It would have only exacerbated the situation more. "She will eat when she is hungry," he repeated, his voice even. "But maybe you need a break. Maybe you should call Zabini and Potter. Go get a drink. Do something that doesn't involve being here." _

_Draco vigorously dragged a hand through his hair. "If she's not taking a 'break' I'm not taking a break. Why should I escape when she can't?" _

"_Hermione is barely cognizant when she's awake, and she's asleep for the evening. That's her escape – sleep. So go. Get out. Clear your head." _

"_My head is perfectly clear, Father. I'm not leaving." _

It took a few more days before Draco took his father's advice about grabbing a drink with Harry and Blaise after work. That day also happened to be the same day that Lucius stumbled upon a box of old muggle photo albums and other miscellaneous items in the study. It appeared to Lucius, as he flipped through the albums – some dustier than others – that Hermione's parents must have documented every moment of her life. He found himself slightly amused at muggles and their weird ways, like the picture of a three-year-old Hermione wrapped up in a white towel that had a hood with the face of a duck on top. He wasn't sure what the purpose of such an odd towel was, but even he found it slightly amusing and almost adorable.

Underneath some photo albums, he found a file filled with various pictures that were clearly drawn by Hermione during her years at school before Hogwarts. He found a file labeled _Hermione – Grade 1_, the inside littered with stacks of drawings and school work her parents saved. Lucius pulled one of the papers out and stared at it. The top part of the page had a picture of two stick people, a tall one and a short one, both with curly brown hair. There was a big rectangle with a line drawn diagonally through the shape. Underneath it was a paragraph written in abnormally large letters. _My mummy is the best. She makes me my favorite sandwich when I am sad. I love grilled cheese. She even cuts the crust off. I love my mummy._

_Putting away the file of childhood memories, Lucius went down to the kitchen and called for the house elf. "Do you think you could fix Miss Hermione a grilled cheese sandwich, cut diagonally, with the crusts cut off?" He asked Jori. "I think it would cheer her up." _

_The house elf's eyes lit up at the sheer prospect of a happy mistress. "Jori will make Misses Hermione thousands of grilled cheese sandwiches without crusts if it will make Misses Hermione feel better!" the elf exclaimed, her hands clenched together. _

"_Let's just start with one," Lucius replied, giving Jori an awkward, but kind pat on the head. _

"_Yes Mister Malfoy! Jori will have one ready right away!" _

That was the day Lucius got Hermione to eat. The same type of sandwich prepared by Jori was in the bag sitting by his feet, a charm around it to keep it fresh until she woke. A nurse wheeled the plastic bassinet into the room and placed it next to Lucius. Carefully, she lifted the pink bundle and placed her in Lucius' arms, letting him know to hit the call button on the wall if he needed anything.

Holding babies was not an activity that Lucius was accustomed to. He could count on his hands the number of times he held Draco as an infant. Narcissa was the affectionate parent. Narcissa doted on their son as if he were a prince, which he was, to an extent. They didn't have more children because they didn't need to – a son was all Lucius needed in terms of an heir. He often wondered if Narcissa would have been happier with more children. He wondered if Hermione and Draco would have more children.

Lucius watched as Harper stared back at him, her eyes open and alert, as she appeared to be tracking his slight shifts and tilts as he admired his granddaughter. He stood by his previous day's comments – she looked like his wife, and Ginny was right. She would grow up and be quite the beauty, just as Narcissa was during her youth. Of course, he thought his wife was still beautiful, as she was aging quiet gracefully. Of course, Lucius thought everything his wife did was with grace. Narcissa's grace was one of the things Lucius found attractive about Narcissa, despite their arranged marriage.

"You look good with a baby," he heard Hermione's tired voice speak.

He looked up at her and watched as she carefully resituated herself while stifling a yawn. "You should go back to sleep."

"You sound like Draco," she half teased with a roll of her eyes. Hermione watched as Lucius went back to staring at Harper, who had a hold of his index finger, clearly content with being held by her grandfather. "I think you have an admirer."

Lucius looked back at Hermione. "Me or her?"

"Both."

"She is something," Lucius admitted. "I don't remember…feeling quite this way when Draco was born."

Hermione pursed her lips together for a moment before speaking. "Maybe that's because you're not the same person."

Lucius nodded. "Possibly."

She saw the brown bag next to her father in law. "What's that?" she asked.

He wandlessly levitated the bag towards Hermione. "A sandwich," he replied. "And some chips. The food here in this muggle hospital looked ghastly."

Hermione shook her head as she pulled out the hot grilled cheese. Lucius just couldn't say_ I thought you'd like the sandwich_. It was easier for him to find an unemotional reason for the kind gestures he did for her, and she resisted the urge to point that out to him. Instead, she thanked him, and enjoyed an early lunch.

"I'm surprised your wife isn't here," Hermione noted in between bites.

"She is with Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, no doubt purchasing an obscene amount of clothing for the little one," Lucius said, cradling Harper close to his chest. "Obviously, I opted out of that adventure."

"Obviously," Hermione chimed in with a small smirk.

Lucius relaxed into the chair he was sitting in, as he held his granddaughter, not once tiring as he continued to admire everything he could, from her tiny pointed nose to her soft baby hands. "Narcissa spent half the night last night trying to figure out what she wanted Harper to call her. I must warn you – some of her choices were a bit ridiculous."

"Have you decided what you want to be called?" Hermione asked.

"Grandfather," Lucius replied, as if it were the only option.

"I figured as much," she replied with a laugh. "What about Narcissa?"

Lucius could hardly contain the roll of his eyes or the sarcasm in his sigh. "Well, first there's Nana. Or Nana Cissa. Or _Grammy_, which I plan to have Draco veto the moment he hears it because I am certain he will find the word just as appalling as I did. I fear my wife may have inhaled too many paint fumes the other day."

All Hermione could do was shake her head, despite her amusement. "I had a Nana," she offered. "Maybe Narcissa doesn't want to be so formal. I can't recall ever hearing him refer to either of you as Mum or Dad. It's always Mother and Father."

"That's the Malfoy way," Lucius replied. "It's how I addressed my own parents, and as they addressed theirs."

"Well…some ways are meant to be broken, wouldn't you agree?"

"Not if it means being called _Poppy_," Lucius nearly spat.

Hermione made a face. "Oh…"

"That's the name she suggested for me."

"I'll go ahead and veto Poppy for you," Hermione offered. "Because that's just awkward."

"Thank you," he replied, somewhat relieved.

"I think Grandfather fits you best," she added for good measure.

Lucius stared at Harper, and gave her a rare smile. "As do I."

* * *

><p>Congratulations surrounded Draco from everyone he met at the Ministry the moment he walked into work. He'd never seen so many smiles, or shook so many hands. Baby gifts were collecting in the lobby of his department, as his frazzled assistant kept track of who brought what.<p>

"LuAnn, what in the hell…" his voice trailed as he stared at the stack of gifts. "This is obscene."

"They're from everyone," she said, as two more gifts floated through the door. "Apparently people like you more than you give them credit for."

Draco held back a laugh. "They like my wife."

"They like you too," LuAnn reassured him. "The Minister is waiting for you in your office."

Nodding, Draco walked into his office, shutting the door behind him. He found Kingsley, sitting at his desk, admiring some of the photos that sat around the edge. There only used to be one photo on his desk – it was of his mother and him on his first day of Hogwarts. Then a photo of Draco and James appeared after an eventful day at the London Zoo. Now, his desk was littered with photos with James and Albus, as well as Hermione. A lone muggle photo stood in a silver frame – a picture from their wedding photographer of the two of them.

"_Draco stop!" Hermione squealed as Draco playfully danced with her in the grass. "I'm going to fall!" _

_Laughing, Draco pulled her close before dipping her back. He felt one of her hands latch on to the back of his neck while her other hand held her flower bouquet, the flower buds hanging towards the ground. "I wouldn't dream of dropping you, Misses Malfoy." _

_She let him kiss her, unaware of the camera capturing the moment. "You better not, Mister Malfoy." _

That picture, along with several others, was showcased in the Parisian _Belle Sorcière _wizard magazine, along with the story all reporters had been clamoring to get their hands on since the wizarding world heard of their blossoming relationship. Several wedding photos also found their way into a popular muggle magazine that was doing an exposé on their photographer. The picture on his desk in particular was also hanging in their bedroom as a much larger print than the 5x7 in his office.

"Ah, Draco," Kingsley said with a grin. Out of the pocket in his robe, he pulled out two cigars and a matchbook. "I was shocked to hear you were coming in today."

Draco took the cigar from Kingsley and looked at it peculiarly as he set his briefcase down. The last time Kingsley sat in his office behind his desk, he had a bottle of fire whiskey and two shot glasses.

"_You aren't seriously condoning drinking within the Ministry, are you?" Draco incredulously asked._

_Kingsley took one look at the heartbroken man in front of him, looking uncharacteristically rumpled in his work attire, and popped the top off the bottle. "I'm not going to get you drunk, obviously," Kingsley said. "But you look like could use a drink." _

_Draco eyed the shot glass filled to the brim with amber liquid. "Hermione is a mess." _

"_You're a mess," Kingsley stated. _

"_My father of all people is watching her while I work." _

_Kingsley nodded. "You don't have to come back to work yet. If you need more time –"_

"_I will lose my fucking mind if I have to stay in that house one more day," Draco replied blandly. He picked up the drink and threw the shot back, not even wincing as the drink burned a trail down his throat. _

"You really want to stink up the office with these?" Draco asked with a laugh.

Kingsley lit his cigar and took a few celebratory puffs. "You've been around Potter too long. We're _wizards_," he playfully reminded. "I'm sure one of us has a spell to rid the office of the stench."

Draco laughed, taking the matchbook from Kingsley. Taking a few puffs of his own, Draco shook the flame out of his match and sat down across from Kingsley, feeling a bit awkward as he was on the other side of his desk. Leaning back, he grinned at Kingsley while fishing some photos from his briefcase. Handing them over, Draco couldn't help but continue to beam as Kingsley admired the newest addition to his family.

"Look at that," Kingsley said, holding his smoldering cigar in hand.

"She's beautiful."

"Just like her mother," Kingsley added. "She has Hermione's eyes."

"I'll be sure to tell Granger– she's convinced the child looks just like me."

Kingsley examined the other photos. "Yes…she definitely looks like a Malfoy. But I see Hermione in her. She will undoubtedly be a force to reckon with, I'm sure." He handed the photos back to Draco. "How is she doing?"

Draco took a puff of his cigar. "Very well. Brilliant, even. I'm telling you…they put Harper Grace in her arms and it was in that moment that I got my wife back."

"You two have been through quite a bit. I've been proud of the way you've handled it all. It could not have been easy."

Shrugging, Draco stared at the picture of his daughter. "I don't think we'll ever get over it, but I believe Harper will help us heal. We weren't looking to replace the child we lost, but our dreams of having a family have certainly been restored. She's a new beginning for us."

"She is certainly a treasure," Kingsley added.

He set the photos on the desk and sighed. "Can I tell you something?"

Kingsley nodded. "Of course."

Draco took in a deep breath and exhaled. "I felt guilty when I held my daughter."

"Guilty?"

He nodded, as he continued to explain. Draco wasn't sure how coherently his explaining was, considering he'd been mulling his own revelation of feelings himself. When his son was born, Draco held him, but channeled his former ways of dealing with overwhelming emotion and managed to shut it off. His wife was a mess and he was more concerned about taking care of her. Draco held his son, gently kissed his tiny forehead, and handed him to Hermione, who held him for hours before finally asking that he be taken away. He was astounded at the amount of love she had for their son before they even had the chance to meet him, and how she grieved for him as if he'd been a part of their lives from the beginning. Of course, he loved their baby the moment Hermione said they were pregnant, but inside the sadness of that hospital room, he realized it was a different type of love.

Draco grieved for his son in private, often at night while his wife was subdued in a deep bout of sleep. He would sit in his office and silently cry, or stare out the window as he wondered what his son would be doing if he were here in that moment. Would his son babble endlessly like James, or would he stare and observe like Albus? Would his son's eyes light up as he entered a room, just as Harry's sons did when he would return home for work, or would he only have eyes for his mother, just as he did as a child? A million questions would forever go unanswered.

Then Harper Grace was put into his arms, and in that moment, he realized that he had the capability to feel the type of love he knew Hermione already felt. It was as if Draco literally felt his heart grow as he stared at her tiny hands and cherub cheeks. It took a while for most people to grow on him, let alone for Draco to love them, but all it took was a simple look and Draco could feel the emotion bubbling to the surface.

As he explained all of this to Kingsley, he finally managed to take a breath as he looked to his mentor. "Does any of this make any sense?" Draco asked.

Kingsley nodded. "Of course it does. Mothers…they become mothers the moment they realize they are with child. Everything they do from that moment until the baby is born will affect the child. Being a mother is a more intimate experience than it is to be a father, at least that's what I assume. After all, it is the mother that carries the child and brings it into this world. Father's, I imagine, don't necessarily don't 'feel' as if they're truly a parent until they hold their child for the first time. You didn't get to experience what Hermione experienced with your son. You never felt him move, you never felt a kick. Your opportunity to be a father was in a sense, stolen. Even if you two chose never to have children, Hermione would have always been confident in saying that she was in fact a mother. I don't know if you would have ever said you were a father."

Draco silently agreed with Kingsley, taking another drag from his cigar. "I feel like a father," he admitted. "With Harper Grace, I feel like I'm finally a parent."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Draco," Kingsley said. "Like you said – she isn't replacing the son you lost – she's restoring the opportunity for you and Hermione to have a family."

"Right," Draco agreed.

Kingsley transformed a glass on Draco's desk into an ashtray and used it to snuff out the remainder of his cigar. "I'll let you get back to work. See if you can't get your loose ends tied up today so you can start your vacation. I'm sure your wife would appreciate it."

Draco laughed, snuffing his own cigar out in the ashtray. "I'm sure she would."

"Harper Grace," Kingsley mused aloud as he walked around Draco's desk, clapping a hand on Draco's shoulder. "It's a beautiful name."

"Thanks," Draco proudly replied.

"Get to work," Kingsley lightly ordered. "You have a new baby to get back to."

Draco gave Kingsley a mock salute. "Yes, sir."

* * *

><p>Like Draco promised, a forty-eight hour bout in the hospital didn't kill Hermione, but she was more than eager to get home. Once inside their house, they were greeted with a big sign in the living room, clearly made by James with the help of Ginny that said "Welcome Home Harper!" The Potter family, Arthur and Molly, as well as Draco's parents were waiting inside, all eager to see Harper again. However, no one was as excited as Jori, who stood next to James with her hands clutching her best dress in anticipation of seeing the baby.<p>

Draco noticed the eager elf as she stood to the side and motioned for her to come over, carefully lifting Harper out of the car seat she slept in. Hermione watched, grinning as Draco carefully placed his daughter into the elf's arms. "Meet Harper," Draco whispered.

Jori's big eyes cried tears of joy as she rocked the baby back and forth. "Jori loves the baby so much!" she whispered with excitement. "Jori will take good care of the baby – Jori promises! And Jori will help feed and diaper and bathe and anything else Master Draco and Mistress Hermione want!"

Hermione smiled. "I'm sure you will be a great help."

"The best help," Draco offered.

As everyone took turns once again holding the baby, Hermione leaned into Draco as he wrapped a protective arm around her. Once Harper was nestled in the crook of Arthur's arm, awake as she watched him make silly faces, Hermione whispered softly to Draco. "Can I see the nursery?"

Nodding, the two of them slipped out of the crowd. Draco caught Harry's eye as he wordlessly told him where they were headed. Carefully, he helped his wife climb the stairs with an arm wrapped supportively around her waist. They reached the second floor, and Draco's arm dropped, grabbing her hand instead as he led her down the hall to the bedroom across from theirs, the same bedroom Hermione stayed in when she first moved into his house.

Carefully, Hermione walked into the room and let out a small gasp at the room before her. It was completely unrecognizable. The baby pink room, the matching bright white furniture set, the pastel polka dot accents on her bedding and the plush chair in the corner – it looked like it was plucked straight from a magazine. A bookshelf sat in a corner, filled with all sorts of children's books. Photos sat on top of the shelf of Draco and Hermione, Lucius and Narcissa, and the photo of Hermione's parents he took from their room. There were closets and dresser drawers filled to capacity with clothing that would last Harper the entire year, though Hermione knew that with Narcissa as a grandmother, the clothing would only increase. Another corner of the room had all sorts of baby toys sitting on a large, pale green area rug, just waiting to be used.

"Draco…" she whispered, still in awe of the room. "It's beautiful."

"Are you sure?" he asked, his hands in his pockets. "There's also a small bassinet in our room."

She turned around and to face her husband. She couldn't figure out how he pulled this off, even with the help of everyone. Then it hit her. "You knew," Hermione accused, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "That 'feeling' you had – you knew Harper was a girl, didn't you?"

He had the good sense to look somewhat sheepish, despite not being apologetic. "I've known for a while."

"And the others?"

"I told Ginny," Draco confessed. "Only because I had to tell someone and everyone else would have blabbed. She helped with the collecting and stashing of items."

"So I'm assuming she told the others –"

"While they were putting this all together."

Hermione chewed on her thumb for a moment while her other arm out of habit rested on top of her somewhat deflated belly. She took a good look around the room again, falling in love with her daughter's nursery. Hermione tested out the oversized chair and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a rocker, and the ottoman in front of the chair rocked as well. Her arms and hands resting on the plush fabric arms of the chair, she looked at her husband.

"I'm going to admit something to you," she said. "But I don't want it going to your head."

Draco laughed. "This ought to be good."

She reached her arms out to Draco, and he gently helped her stand. Keeping a hold of his hands, Hermione looked at him and slightly shook her head. "I'm glad…that I married such a sneaky git who went _completely_ against my wishes so that our daughter would have a _beautiful_ nursery to come home to."

He leaned down and gently kissed his wife, bringing her arms up so that they held him around his waist. "I'm glad you like it," he whispered, kissing her again."

"I love it," she replied, closing her eyes as his forehead pressed against hers. "I love the nursery, I love our daughter, but most of all, I love you."

Draco nodded, kissing the top of her head as she hugged him close. "I love you," he whispered, rubbing a soothing hand against her back.

She sniffled a bit, as a few happy tears trailed down her cheeks. "You've been so patient with me," Hermione said softly. "I half expected you to give up on me. I'm forever grateful that you didn't."

He looked down as she looked back up at him. "I'd never give up on you, Hermione," he said, quietly but seriously. "Ever."

She nodded, seeking comfort in his words. "We should probably go back down and visit a little bit."

"The sooner we visit the sooner we can boot them out," Draco half joked.

Hermione playfully gave him a swat as the two walked out of Harper's room and back down to their family and friends for a bit. Later that night, as Hermione fed, burped, and changed her daughter, she quietly rocked her to sleep before settling the baby into her bassinet for the night. Despite her daughter feeding every three hours like clockwork, by the time morning rolled around, Hermione felt a renewed sense of peace come over her as she watched Harper sleep. She thought she would feel exhausted, but she didn't. All she felt was happiness.

Draco cracked an eye open as he felt the bed shift. He saw Hermione lying in bed, her knees bent as Harper reclined against his wife's thighs. She was unswaddled, her little legs bent at the knees, as she held onto Hermione's index fingers with her dainty hands. Closing his eyes, he listened as Hermione spoke to their daughter.

"You might not understand this now, Harper Grace," Hermione whispered lovingly to her daughter. "And one day I will explain it all to you. But I thought you should know that you saved me."

_She saved us both,_ Draco thought to himself as he kept his eyes shut, slowly drifting back to a light sleep while his wife enjoyed her one-on-one time with their daughter. _She saved us both._


	3. Chapter 3

**_Hello Hello! I finally write to you all as someone who is finally DONE with school - done with papers, done with the pomp and circumstance, done done done done DONE! If you can't tell, I'm really excited about this. Mainly because now I can use my free time to write, instead of checking Blackboard as a way to remind me of everything that I don't have done. I also managed to bust out a 4.0...even while slacking and writing instead of doing homework. _**

_**But enough of my own personal bragging. **_

**_This chapter is back to the regular lengths of my 'usual' chapters (between 4k - 6k words) and I hope you enjoy it. Also - I had a funny comment on IAU the other day from someone who likes my story, but wasn't wild about all of the descriptive language. I don't know...I don't like reading fanfics that are just dialogue - that's not to say I don't read them - but I like being able to "see" the scene. So I leave it to you all - who continuously come back and read my chapters every time they're posted. If you think I need to pare back some of the descriptions - let me know. I do know that sometimes I can get a bit carried away :D_**

* * *

><p>Molly came and stayed with Hermione and Draco every day for the first two weeks Harper Grace was home. The tips and tricks that woman knew marveled both Draco and Hermione, and both of them didn't know why she didn't just write a book for new wizard parents. Even Narcissa was impressed at the charms and spells the feisty, redheaded woman knew. Molly showed Hermione a spell she created to help express milk from her breasts and store in the fridge so that Draco could help feed the baby at night, and a charm that would help Jori keep the dirty laundry from piling up in the laundry room. With a swish and a flick, Hermione was amazed at how the laundry room just knew when to start a new load.<p>

She showed them both how to hold Harper to help when she was too gassy, and how to swaddle Harper tightly in a blanket before setting her down for her naps so that she didn't move and wake herself. Draco was convinced at one point that Molly had the blanket wrapped too tight – but Molly just shook a finger at him and said, "Seven children, Draco Malfoy – and not a single one of them died from suffocation."

"It's alright," Arthur reassured Draco with a smirk. "I thought for sure she was going to kill Bill when I first watched her swaddle him. I even used to sneak into his room just to loosen the blanket up a bit. But when they flail their arms about, it startles them a bit, and if you're the reason the baby wakes up…well, let's just say the end result is less than pleasant. An in person howler, if you will."

"Noted," Draco replied, a little less concerned.

Draco and Hermione sat on the couch together while Harper swung slowly in her baby swing – a gift from George and Angelina - right next to them. Harper had been fussy most of the day but the swing seemed to somewhat appease her for the time being, sucking on her pacifier while watching the little mobile of stars and moons hanging above her. Hermione curled into Draco, her legs tucked up underneath her as her head rested comfortably on his chest. Tired but not exhausted, she lightly closed her eyes, listening to the lull of Draco's heart beating. Draco propped his sock clad feet up on the coffee table with the comfort of a cushioning charm and read some of the pages Hermione marked in some muggle parenting book, something about what to expect during the first year. He didn't question it - he just read what was marked for him and was thankful she didn't require him to read the book from cover to cover.

Just as Hermione drifted towards sleep, she felt him shift and heard him put the book down. "What are you doing?" she mumbled.

He looked down and felt bad – he didn't realize she was halfway asleep when he remembered the gift he had in his pocket for her. He handed her the large, velvet square box and kissed her forehead. "I noticed the other day that it had been awhile since I got you something that sparkled."

This peaked her interest. Hermione was never one for overly extravagant gifts, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy being doted upon by Draco. He always knew just what to get her – nothing too big or flashy – always classy and elegant. Taking the box, she pried it open single handedly and gasped softly. Inside were two thin, sterling silver bangles – one of them embedded with tiny, light blue diamonds with the other thin bangle was imbedded with light pink diamonds.

"One for each of our children," he whispered in her ear.

She grinned, her eyes watering just a bit as she slid them onto her narrow wrists. Fitting perfectly, she held her arm out to admire her new jewelry. "They're beautiful," she said.

He tightened his hold on her with the arm wrapped around her waist. "Just like our children, and just like their mother."

Hermione looked up at her husband and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. "You are perfect," she confessed.

Draco grinned. "I'm going to remind you of that the next time you yell at me for leaving my shoes in the middle of the floor."

"You do that," she teased, kissing him again. She looked at her bracelets again, watching as they sparkled when they caught the light just right. "Will I get a bangle for the next one?"

"The next one?" Draco questioned.

Hermione nodded. "I'm assuming you still want Harper to have siblings..."

"I do," Draco carefully spoke. "I just…after everything…I wasn't sure you would want to have another. I'm ok if you don't. Harper Grace is perfect. I would be content."

She settled back against him, her head back on the warm spot she created on his chest as she watched Harper swing back and forth. "I wouldn't mind trying again."

"Really?" he asked, trying his hardest not to sound too eager.

"Maybe when she's a little bit older," Hermione replied with a yawn. Harper began to fuss a little in her swing. Yawning again, she climbed off of the couch and stood in front of the swing, bringing it to a halt so she could pick up her daughter. "What's wrong, Harper? You just don't feel well at all today, do you?" she cooed, rubbing her back as she continued to fuss.

Draco sat up a bit on the couch and draped an arm across the back as Hermione settled back down, nestling their daughter to her chest. He watched as she fussed for a few more minutes, despite Hermione's cooing and cajoling for her to calm down. "Here," he said, gently taking Harper from his arms. "Let me try."

Her little hands were covered by thin pink mittens to keep herself from scratching her face as she stretched her long legs out in her pink and yellow stripped footed pajamas. Harper's child healer at St. Mungo's predicted her to inherit her father's height as she was off the charts for her age. Secretly, Hermione was jealous that her daughter was predicted to be tall. Never growing taller than 5'6" was a grudge she would forever hold against her genetic makeup.

Draco held her out in front, his hands underneath her tiny arms as his strong fingers helped keep her head upright. She quit fussing for a moment as she stared back at her father. "Did you just want your Daddy?" Hermione asked, playfully nipping at her feet with her hands.

"How could she not?" Draco asked with a smirk. "Harper Grace loves her Daddy, doesn't she?"

Neither one of them saw the projectile vomit coming, and Hermione nearly bit her tongue straight through in order to keep her composure at the sight of her utterly disgusted husband. However, it was hard to deny that Harper finally looked somewhat content.

* * *

><p>"Dad! Dad! Look! Mummy got an owl!"<p>

Harry looked up from _The Daily Prophet_ and saw James running towards him with the letter. Taking the envelope from his son, Harry saw the Hollyhead Harpies logo sealed in wax. He didn't think much of it, considering she had a few friends on the team, and set it on the end table next to him. "I think Mummy is putting Albus to bed - but you can give it to her when she comes down, ok?" Harry said.

James nodded. "What are you reading?"

"Nothing much," Harry replied, folding the paper up. "Is your homework all finished?"

Rolling his eyes, James pushed his glasses up to the top of his nose. "I'm only in prep, Daddy. You don't get homework until…I don't know…grade 1 or something."

"Right. Did you shower like Mummy told you to?"

James nodded.

"And did you use soap?"

"I only forgot that one time!" James cried.

Harry gave a pat on his leg and a pajama clad James willingly climbed into his father's lap. Manchester Day School was a private school in London - one of the few private schools that had employees who were aware of the wizarding world and knew how to handle accidental bouts of magic when they took place. Ginny wasn't wild about sending him to a muggle school, as she was home schooled until Hogwarts, but Harry was adamant about James learning how to interact in both worlds. The British Prime Minister actually gave Harry the school suggestion at a meeting he accompanied Kingsley with, as the Minister of Magic and the Prime Minister held monthly meetings in secret to keep each other up to date with information as needed. James seemed to enjoy school, despite the uniform, and was nearing the end of his preparatory year.

"Daddy?"

"James?"

His son sighed, quite woefully as he nestled himself into his father's side. "When I go to Hogwarts, will I still get to keep my Manchester friends?"

That was a question Harry definitely wasn't expecting from his son, though by the look on James' face, Harry could see that James had been stewing over this thought for a bit. "You'll be home in the summer time, so I reckon you could see them then if you wanted to."

"But how will we stay friends?" James asked. "I can't tell them where I go to school. What if they forget me when I come back for the summer? What if they don't like me when I come home?"

Harry chuckled as he hugged his son. "You worry too much, James. I'm starting to wonder if you don't belong to your Aunt Hermione."

"I'm being _completely_ serious, Daddy!" James exclaimed, not amused in the slightest by his father's joke.

"I know," Harry said. "But you've only got a few months of prep year left, and next year you'll be in grade 1. I don't think this is something you should trouble yourself with until you're a bit older. Don't you agree?"

James looked at his father and shrugged. "I guess. I just…"

"Just what, buddy?"

His son sighed. "I just really like my friends, Daddy."

Harry reclined back in his chair a bit, grabbing the copy of _Charlotte's Web _from the end table and opened it up to where the two of them had left off from the previous night. He didn't really have friends until he got to Hogwarts, and Ginny was homeschooled, so having 'separate' friends was going to be new territory for all of them. "I promise," he said to James. "We will cross that bridge when we get to it. Deal?"

"Deal," James replied. "Will you read this chapter tonight?"

"You don't want to read tonight?"

"I just want to listen," James said, snuggling closer as he made himself comfortable in the crook of Harry's arm.

Harry didn't even make it halfway through chapter seven before James was sound asleep. His little head drooped to the side; his mouth hanging slightly ajar as he softly snored. Marking their place in the book James picked from the library last week, he set it on the table next to his chair. Carefully, Harry plucked James' glasses from his face and hooked them on his shirt. He never realized how big, or heavy, James was until he was completely asleep. With the assistance of a feather light charm, Harry carried his eldest up the stairs and into his room. Making sure his glasses were where he could find them on the nightstand, Harry tucked James into his dragon decorated bedding and lightly kissed him goodnight.

As Harry quietly shut the door behind him, his wife stood and waited. "Is he asleep?"

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin. "Merlin's beard woman! You scared the piss out of me!" he hissed.

"Clearly," Ginny replied. "Albus finally fell asleep - let's hope he stays that way 'til morning." Albus had been waking up in the middle of the night these past few weeks congested and crying as his mouth continued to cut molars. He had one more to go, and Ginny was convinced it was never going to pop through. Of course, during all of this, Albus only wanted his mother, as most children did when they didn't feel well.

Harry could see his wife's exhaustion and pulled her hand towards the end of the hallway towards their bedroom. "I'll get up with him if he wakes," Harry offered.

Ginny yawned as she allowed her husband to lead her. "It's pointless - he'll just scream if isn't me. But I appreciate the offer."

Harry pulled her into the bedroom and shut the door quietly behind him. "Oh - before I forget - there's a letter downstairs for you from the Hollyhead Harpies of all things."

"I'm sure it's just junk post," Ginny quickly replied as she busied herself, changing out of her clothes and into an old shirt of Harry's to sleep in.

"Owls don't usually deliver junk," Harry teased. "I think you're confusing owls with the muggle post."

"I'm sure it's nothing."

Harry looked at his wife, arching an eyebrow. "Why are you being all weird?"

Ginny quickly turned down the bed and climbed in. "I'm not being weird."

"You're being weird," Harry retorted. Shedding his shirt, he climbed into bed in his pajama pants and shifted over towards his wife. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Harry, drop it," Ginny stated, rolling away from Harry, her back facing him.

"I most certainly will not drop it. Something is obviously bothering you."

Ginny looked over her shoulder at her husband. "You. You're bothering me." She saw Harry's face drop, and she knew she inadvertently hurt his feelings. But she told him to drop it and he continued to nag her. Rolling over, Ginny sighed as she faced her husband. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"It's fine," Harry said with a sigh, his body language telling her it was anything but fine. Placing his glasses on his nightstand, Harry pulled the covers up to his chest and punched the pillow behind his head a few times to fluff it a bit. "I'll wake up with Albus."

Sighing, Ginny dragged her hands over her tired face and moved so that she was flat on her back, staring at the ceiling. As tired as she was - despite it being a hair past nine-thirty, she couldn't fall asleep knowing that Harry was upset with her. Nearly a half hour later, Ginny still wasn't asleep - and neither was her husband.

"Harry?"

"Go to sleep, Gin," Harry replied.

Ginny sighed. "That letter downstairs - it's the fifth letter I've received from the Hollyhead Harpies in the past two weeks. They need a new chaser. Oliver Wood - he's the new coach - and he wants me to try out."

Harry reached for his glasses, putting them on as he rolled over to face his wife, who continued to stare at the ceiling. "Ginny -"

"I know what you're going to say, and I agree. It's bloody insane."

"I was going to say brilliant, actually," Harry replied. "I mean, you're a great player!"

"Was a great player," Ginny corrected. "I haven't played since Hogwarts. Plus I have responsibilities now. I can't go off and play quidditch. Who would watch the children?"

Harry rested a hand on her shoulder, and propped his chin up on his knuckles. "You know for a fact your mother would watch our children so you could pursue this opportunity."

"I won't have my mother raise our children," Ginny promptly replied.

"She'd hardly be raising them, Ginny."

Ginny sat up, wrenching the hair tie she kept on her wrist off as she hastily wrapped up her long locks into a messy bun. "Really? Because between practice, games, traveling, and your job at the Ministry, our children would probably see us for maybe an hour or two each day. Albus has done nothing but become attached to my hip since he began teething. James is six going on sixteen some days, and he's clearly developing the Weasley knack for mischievousness - no thanks to George egging him on every chance he gets, and -"

"Gin, breathe," Harry said, sitting up so that he could look at her face to face. "You've given up so much of yourself. We got married young, we had kids young…you've given up more than I have for the sake of our family."

Her shoulders dropped as she played with her hands. "I don't regret it, Harry. Any of it."

"I didn't say that you did."

Ginny looked at her husband. "I'm perfectly fine being nothing more than a wife and a mother."

Harry cupped her cheeks with his hands and stared directly into her piercing blue eyes. "You, Ginny Potter, are so much more than just a wife and a mother. Do you understand me? You are _everything_. This family doesn't work without you."

"Which is why I can't just take time off to go play a silly game," Ginny replied. "I'm flattered by their offer, but -"

"I can scale back at work," Harry interjected. "I can take time off, I can even take a indefinite leave of absence if necessary. It's not like we can't afford it."

Ginny laughed, reaching for Harry's hands with her own. She kissed one hand, then the other, and laughed. "As much as I appreciate the offer, I don't see you as the stay-at-home type. You'd go barking mad after a day."

"Are you insinuating that I cannot handle our children?"

"Yes. But in the nicest way possible."

"Ginny, you've been taking care of this family for the past seven years," Harry emphatically said, squeezing her hands. "Besides - James is in school most of the day, so it's not like I'll have both of them the entire day. Let me take it from here for a bit. I want you to pursue this, if you truly wish to."

She leaned in and gave him a kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck as he gently pushed her back down onto the bed. Ginny was content in saying no, or at the very least, ignoring Wood's owls until he got the message. The other letters had been sent during the day, and Ginny was able to promptly get rid of them before Harry arrived home. But Harry made her feel like this might work. Of course, she also thought there was a fifty-fifty chance her children would have him held hostage by lunchtime.

"I'll write him back tomorrow," Ginny breathlessly replied as Harry stared at her with a smirk. "I'll agree to a try-out, and we'll go from there."

"You'll be brilliant," Harry whispered. "I know it."

She reached up a hand and brushed his hair back, her thumb barely grazing his infamous scar. "I love you," she whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

He kissed her again before crawling off of her. Pulling the covers back up, he spooned into her side and hugged her close. "I love you too, Gin."

Yawning, Ginny hugged the arm Harry had wrapped around her body and sighed. "You're getting up with Albus?"

He nodded. "Just go to sleep. I'll take care of him."

"Ok," she said through her yawn. It only took a minute before she was fast asleep in Harry's warm embrace.

* * *

><p>Like clockwork, Harper woke up her parents with her cries at four in the morning. Hermione heard her first, as her husband was snoring with a pillow on top of his head. They were usually pretty good about taking turns and getting up with the baby, but when she found Draco passed out in bed before nine last night, she knew he needed a decent night's sleep. Paddling down to Harper's room, she shut the door behind her and went to her daughter.<p>

"Shh, it's ok baby, Mummy's here," Hermione cooed as she carried her over to the plush rocking chair. Getting settled, she propped her feet up on her rocking ottoman and slipped an arm out of her nightdress and pulled the soft fabric down. Harper latched on immediately and suckled away as Hermione leaned back in the chair and yawned. Intermittently, Hermione popped Harper away from her breast so she could burp her, much to her daughter's general displeasure at the process. Pulling up her nightdress on one side, she stripped her other side down and let Harper feed again, watching as her cheeks fluttered with each suckle.

The door to the nursery opened, and Hermione looked up, half expecting to see her drowsy husband. Instead, it was Jori, who looked somewhat embarrassed. "Jori is sorry," she quickly spoke. "Jori did not mean to interrupt Misses Hermione and Miss Harper."

"Did you need something?" Hermione asked, motioning for her to come in.

Jori tugged at her dress as she awkwardly rocked back and forth, staring at the floor. "Jori was hoping that Mister Draco and Missus Hermione would let Jori help with the baby when she came home from the hospital. Jori is very good with babies. Jori loves babies! Jori also doesn't need sleep. We house elves don't sleep much anyway. Jori would be very good with Miss Harper. Jori loves Miss Harper, and is so happy there's a baby in the house!"

Silently laughing, Hermione discretely found a way to unlatch Harper from her breast for the final time, slipping her arm back into her gown before burping her daughter, who was almost back to sleep. She was well aware that Jori adored their daughter just as much as she and her husband did. Once her daughter was burped, she walked her over to the changing table and put on a fresh nappy before swaddling her back up and placing her back in her crib. She motioned for Jori to follow her into the hallway, quietly shutting the door behind them.

"I will talk to Draco - I'm sure he would be perfectly fine with you helping with the baby," Hermione said, giving the house elf a hug.

"Jori knows Misses Hermione doesn't like to use Jori lots. Misses Hermione is very independent and very kind."

Hermione smiled. "Tell you what. There is some milk already prepared in bottles in the fridge. If she wakes again, would you feed and burp her for me?"

"Of course Jori will help feed and burp Miss Harper!" Jori quietly exclaimed. "Jori will even make sure Miss Harper has a clean nappy!"

"That would be very helpful," Hermione replied. "You're a good elf, Jori. Draco and I are very lucky to have you as a part of our family."

Jori blushed as she bashfully held her hands behind her back. "Jori loves her family too. Jori is very lucky."

Hermione gave Jori another hug before walking back to bed. As she crawled back into bed, she felt Draco stir, popping his head out from under the pillow with a groan. "What time is it?"

"A little past four-thirty."

"Fucking hell," Draco grumbled, his head dropping back to the mattress with a thud. Hermione laughed, settling back into bed as Draco sat up once again. "Shit - I was supposed to get up with Harper Grace tonight! Why didn't you wake me?"

"The first few times were because my breasts were full and they hurt. This time was because you looked unusually pathetic and exhausted," Hermione replied.

Draco sighed, flopping back down on the bed. Hermione curled up next to him and draped a lazy arm across his stomach. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he said. "I know you're just as tired."

"It's fine," she reassured him. "Jori is going to get up with her the next time, so we can sleep a little bit longer."

"Jori? I guess I didn't think about asking her for help."

Hermione laughed, telling him about their conversation in the hall and how she seemed rather put out that neither of them had asked her to help with the baby at night. "I didn't realize that house elves were so…attached, I guess. To babies, that is."

Draco yawned. "Well, people who own house elves traditionally make the elves get up with the baby at night. My mother never got up with me. Ever. Even as a child - if I needed something, Dobby was there. She would get up if I were sick, but maybe once if anything. Dobby would take care of everything else."

The idea of Draco being not only raised, but cared for by an elf made Hermione sad, especially considering how she saw his parents act completely different with their daughter. Then again, as she often reminded herself, Draco's parents weren't the same people when they had their son. "Well, I certainly don't want to have Jori get up with our daughter every night, but I also don't want Jori to think we don't want her help. We should talk to her later about a schedule of sorts - she really wants to help with Harper and I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"I'm sure we can work something out," Draco replied, raking his fingers gently against her bare arm. After a few minutes of lying in silence, Draco let out a frustrated sigh, dragging a hand down his face. "Fuck," he muttered, his fingers digging into the corners of his eyes.

"What?" his wife murmured.

"I can't fucking fall back asleep," Draco groused. "I'm tired and I can't sleep."

Hermione yawned, covering her hand with the back of her mouth. "Close your eyes."

"I am closing my eyes."

"Relax," Hermione whispered as she rubbed a soothing hand on his chest. "Close your eyes."

Taking in a deep breath, Draco closed his eyes and did his best to relax. However, the more he relaxed with the touch of his wife, he quickly realized that another part of him was not relaxing, and in fact, making it very known that it had been quite attention-less since the birth of their daughter. "Stop," he whispered.

Hermione heard the strain in his voice, and was about to ask him what was wrong when she recognized the voice. Grinning, she slid a hand down his boxers and teasingly stroked his erection with her hand. She placed a kiss on his stomach and laughed as she heard him sharply inhale. "Missed this, have you?"

"I thought we couldn't -"

"We can't," Hermione said. "But that doesn't mean I can't do other things…to you know, help relax you."

Draco hissed again as she tightened her grip slightly in between strokes. "I don't…if you can't…I'll wait…"

Hermione laughed as she pushed back the covers and pulled down his boxers. "Trust me when I say that I feel completely unattractive with my sore breasts and sore…everything else…and I am perfectly fine with just doing this for the time being." She left a trail of kisses from the middle of his chest down, laughing as he put a pillow over his face to muffle his moans so that he wouldn't wake their daughter. "Especially if it means that you'll fall back asleep."

He nearly thought he was going to lose it the moment he felt Hermione take him in her mouth. The heat of her mouth and the feel of her tongue as she sucked was a feeling he think about, along with thrusting inside of her when surrounded by the steam of the shower and the company of his hand. He didn't want to pressure her into anything and had been warned by Harry to not even bring up the subject - that she would do it when she was ready and bringing it up before it was her idea would lead to nothing but trouble. It was obvious that he was speaking from experience, so Draco did his best to heed his warning.

She sucked harder and quickened her pace, Draco threading his hands through her hair as he controlled his breathing. What Hermione couldn't take into her mouth she made up for with her hand, moving in sync as she could feel Draco reaching his edge. She scraped her teeth against his erection and felt him shudder a bit, sucking harder as she increased her speed.

"Granger," she heard him pant. "Granger I'm going to cum - oh Merlin, Granger!"

Hermione instinctively swallowed as soon as she felt the warm liquid sputter into her mouth, Draco's groans muffled into the pillow he shoved back over his face. Once he was done, she left him satiated in bed so that she could quickly brush her teeth. Returning back to bed, she saw Draco's boxers were pulled back up, but the pillow was still over his face. Removing the pillow, she looked at him and rolled her eyes. "That good, eh?"

"You have no idea," Draco replied, slightly panting. Hermione lay down next to him on her side, and closed her eyes as she felt him curl up behind her. "But I feel selfish," he whispered in her ear as he kissed a bare spot on her neck.

Hermione sighed as she placed a hand over his that rested right above her slightly protruding belly, as she hadn't been cleared to go back to the gym for anything but yoga. She hoped at her appointment this week she'd be cleared to run. She even found the perfect stroller for Harper to sit in that was perfect for running mums like her. "I promise I'll let you make it up to me," she said through a yawn as Draco continued to kiss the bits of exposed skin on her back. "Just go to sleep."

"Mmhmm," Draco hummed, snuggling closer to his wife. "I love you."

"Love you more," she replied, as they both returned to some much needed sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays to everyone! Sorry it took a bit to update...but I've been at my little sister's beck and call since I came home for break and well, it's hard to tell her no considering she's a mini-me :D_**

* * *

><p>"Lucius Malfoy, what in Merlin's name are you doing on the floor?" Narcissa asked, shocked at the sight before her. They were over at Draco and Hermione's visiting, giving the two of them a bit of a break while they spent some time together upstairs.<p>

It was an odd sight to see - Lucius Malfoy lying on his stomach - staring at the wide eyed, seven week old baby girl across from him, propped up on some funny u-shaped pillow that he assumed was collected from a muggle baby store. He watched as Harper held her head up, slightly bobbling a bit before steading herself as her gaze fixated on the man with the long white hair in front of her. Lucius could tell Harper was less than thrilled to be propped up as her little balled up fists pressed into the pillow, but at least she didn't scream bloody murder like she did when Draco and Hermione first started propping Harper up on her stomach for small bits of time.

Lucius shrugged, not bothering to make eye contact with his wife. "I believe she screams less during this muggle 'tummy time' act that Hermione talks about if she is properly distracted."

"I see," Narcissa replied. "You should know, however, that 'tummy time' isn't a muggle way of things. It helps them strengthen their muscles so that they can properly hold their head up. We wizards, however, do not possess a silly name for such activity."

He looked up at Narcissa, who was holding a basket of folded baby clothes on her hip. "So you did this torture to our son?"

Narcissa laughed. "Yes, dear. I did."

"And did he detest this procedure as much as my granddaughter?"

"Even more so. I just made sure there was a silencing charm around him so that his screams didn't force you to storm in bellowing on about the noise."

The hint of repressed irritation in his wife's voice didn't go unnoticed by Lucius, as he turned his attention back to his granddaughter who was fussing a bit. He lightly brushed her petite nose with his finger and sighed. "I'm sorry," he quietly spoke, not knowing what else to say.

Narcissa saw her husband's shoulders slouch slightly. "No sense in being sorry over something that cannot be changed. I'm going to put these clothes away. I'll have Jori prepare a bottle for Harper - I'm sure she's getting hungry."

Just the two of them again, Lucius pulled himself to his feet and bent back down to collect his granddaughter. Cradling her in his arms, he often wondered what she was thinking as her eyes always seemed to focus in on what was in front of her. He felt a sense of pride, as Harper seemed to be more content in his arms than on the floor. Settling down on the couch, Jori appeared with a warm bottle.

"Misses Malfoy asked Jori to give you Miss Harper's bottle," Jori said as she peered fondly at the baby. "Jori thinks Miss Harper is the most beautiful baby."

Lucius popped the bottle into Harper's mouth and smiled slightly as she began to eagerly suckle. "I would have to agree with you, Jori."

Jori beamed, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Misses Hermione would also want Jori to remind Mister Malfoy that he should burp Harper after every two ounces so that Miss Harper does not get fussy."

"Of course."

"And Misses Hermione would also want Jori to remind Mister Malfoy that if you do not burp Harper after every two ounces, Harper will spit up all over Mister Malfoy and Jori feels that would displease Mister Malfoy greatly."

Lucius looked at the elf, well aware that by the look on her face, she did not appear to trust him with feeding his own granddaughter. "Are you going to watch me the entire time?"

Jori peered down at her feet, holding her hands behind her back. "Of course Jori…trusts Mister Malfoy to feed Harper. Even if Jori knows Mister Malfoy does not feed Harper often…which makes Jori think that Mister Malfoy might forget some things."

Popping the bottle out of Harper's mouth, he held the bottle up and saw that Harper had barely eaten an ounce, despite her fervent suckle. Lucius resisted the urge to scowl at the elf as he popped the bottle back in Harper's whimpering mouth. "I am perfectly capable of feeding my granddaughter, Jori."

"Of course Mister Malfoy is!" Jori exclaimed, backpedaling her remarks. "Jori didn't mean anything what Jori said - Jori only meant to help Mister Malfoy. Jori will go back to cleaning, Sir, but will come if Mister Malfoy needs anything."

Lucius watched as the elf vanished out of the room. His gaze went back to his granddaughter, whose eyes drooped slightly as she ate. He couldn't help but feel as if he was being given somewhat of a do-over when it came to his granddaughter. At the moment, she was the only person in his life who knew nothing more of him than a man who came around often, who would lie on the floor with her, feed her, and would stare at her in awe. Harper didn't know of his past indiscretions or poor choices. He didn't like to think about the day when Harper would become aware of the things he'd done. Lucius instead wanted to think about how his granddaughter would grow to love and adore him, and how he would dote on her endlessly. All the things he did wrong with his own son, he would do right by his granddaughter - and any other future grandchildren that he hoped would come his way.

He popped the bottle out of Harper's mouth once more and set the bottle down on the end table. Propping her up on his knee, he gently pat her back as she drowsily slumped her head down, her little chin resting on the hand he held against her chest. Lucius glanced at the bottle, realizing Harper had eaten more than two ounces. In this same moment, Harper let out a hearty belch, and Lucius felt something warm and gooey coat the top of his hand.

"Jori!" The elf popped into the room out of thin air, holding a spit rag in her hand. Carefully, Jori cleaned the spit-up off of Lucius' hand and Harper's mouth, cautiously avoiding eye contact with the scowling man. "Not a word, Jori," Lucius said, a slight warning tone in his voice.

Jori nodded, a wave of her hand giving the area a final, thorough cleaning as she made the rag disappear. "Of course not, Mister Malfoy. Jori wouldn't dare say a word - not a single word!"

If Lucius didn't know any better, he could have sworn he'd seen a hint of a smirk on the elf's face as she helped clean up the mess.

* * *

><p>Hermione exhaled, slowly waking up at the touch of Draco's hand brushing against the slightly round belly - the only remainder of what was left of her pregnancy with Harper. She was doing yoga on her own at home, mostly stretching, but Hermione began going back to the gym last week. She even found a mommy and me yoga class that started in a few weeks for her and Harper to attend together. Convinced the remaining baby weight rested solely in her stomach, Hermione knew that with a little bit of effort, her body would be back like it was in no time.<p>

However, until her body was back to normal, she wasn't all that wild about the attention her husband paid to what she considered to be her imperfections. Her eyes still closed, Hermione pulled down her tank top that Draco had inched upwards and sighed. "Seriously?"

Draco ignored her and instead, planted a kiss right above her belly button. He knew what she was talking about, and he didn't care. He loved how her hips curved just a little bit more, and how his fingers could trace the faint stretch marks along her skin, marking her body as a mother. He knew they would fade, as they did before, but hints of them would always remain. As she tugged her tank top down, Draco pulled it back up, staring at her until she opened her sleepy eyes.

"I'm not above hexing you," she mumbled, cracking an eye open.

"I'm pretty sure I could dodge whatever you plan on throwing, Granger." he teased.

Hermione scoffed. "If you keep poking at my pudgy belly, I promise you won't be able to dodge what I plan on throwing."

Laughing, Draco crawled back up towards her, wrapping an arm snugly around her middle as he planted kisses on her neck. "Empty threats," he teased. "And I wasn't poking - I was just touching. Lovingly, I might add."

She turned her head and opened her eyes all the way, catching his playful stare and sighing. "I'm being serious, Draco. I really don't like it when you…you know…"

He arched an eyebrow in her direction. "When I what, Hermione?"

Hermione tugged her tank top down further. "I just don't feel comfortable with you…touching my stomach when it's all…gross and jiggly."

Draco laughed. "What in the bloody hell are you jabbering on about, woman? Your stomach isn't gross and…what was the other word?"

"Jiggly."

"Yeah - it isn't that either."

Sighing, Hermione yanked her tank top back up and gave her belly a harsh poke. "See?" she said, poking it once more. "It jiggles."

"I'm sure if you stabbed a piece of word with such vigor it too, would as you say, jiggle."

Yanking the top back down once more, she rolled onto her side - away from Draco - and sighed. "I just…please don't."

Draco pursed his lips together, confused by his wife's actions. Gently, he placed a hand on the exposed skin of her upper back, his fingers carefully kneading her muscles as they inched their way up to her neck, then over to one shoulder and then the other. He could feel her relax against his touch, so he placed a sweet kiss at the nape of her neck. "Hermione," he whispered in her ear.

He heard her sniffle. "Yes?" she asked.

"What's a matter, love?"

"Nothing," she quickly replied. "I just feel completely unattractive."

Draco laughed. "Really?"

She whipped her head around and glared. "I'm being completely serious!" she screeched. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't laugh!"

He held his hands up in defeat, his eyes wide. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," he repeated. "Calm down, Granger."

She huffed as she glared. "I will not 'calm down!' I do not appreciate you mocking me when I tell you how I feel!"

"I wasn't mocking you," Draco replied, quite calmly. "And if you felt that I was, I'm sorry - it wasn't my intention."

Hermione's glare softened as she realized she was completely overreacting. Cursing her hormones, she sighed and looked down, feeling somewhat ashamed. "No…I'm sorry. I know you were just trying to make me feel better." Rolling onto her back, she pressed both of her hands to her forehead and sighed. She didn't know how her husband wasn't going crazy with their lack of sex life. Granted - she was becoming quite the expert at giving a fantastic blow job - at least in the opinion of her husband - but she knew he missed the sex - and when Hermione began caving to the help of others to lessen the exhaustion, she realized she missed sex as well. But the desire was a fleeting one when she thought about how unattractive she felt. Her motivation to rid herself of the baby weight from this pregnancy didn't feel as urgent as it did after the loss of her son. She knew once the gym became a regular part of her day once more she would be back to her normal self, but until then, Hermione couldn't help but feel somewhat self-conscious.

At her six-week checkup, Healer Morgan told her that she had healed nicely, and that as long as she felt comfortable, she could resume having sex with her husband. Her exam wasn't entirely painful, so Hermione figured if she waited one more week, she'd be brave enough to try and have sex with Draco. But every time she caught a glance of herself in the mirror, Hermione felt the urge dissolve. She felt Draco's hand massage her upper thigh softly; his fingers barely underneath the hem of the boxers of his she outright stole from him, and sighed.

"Did you at least have a nice nap?" Draco asked.

She nodded, dropping her hands to her stomach. "Did you?"

"I did," Draco replied, his chin resting on her shoulder. "It's nice having all of this extra help…Mother and Father, Harry and Ginny, Mister and Misses Weasley…"

"Honestly, Draco, you can call them Arthur and Molly," she gently ribbed.

"Will never happen," Draco mumbled, kissing her bare shoulder.

"May I ask why?"

Draco shrugged. He wasn't sure himself, really, why he couldn't bring himself to call Molly and Arthur by their first names. It was just one of those things…just as he referred to his parents 'mother' and 'father,' instead of mum and dad. To him, they would always be Mister and Misses Weasley. "A respect thing, I guess," he replied, hugging her a bit closer.

Hermione reached an arm around him, scratching the back of his head with her nails as he moved his hand back to her stomach, sliding underneath the fabric of her top. She protested once more, jerking her head away from his face as she sighed. "What part of I feel completely unattractive is your thick head not comprehending?" she whined.

"The same part that thinks you're completely barmy," Draco replied, his hand caressing her soft skin. "I find you _incredibly _sexy, Granger."

She couldn't help but giggle as she half-heartedly shoved his hand back. "Will I always be Granger to you?"

"Yes, among other things," Draco replied. Wrapping his arms around her, she yelped as Draco pulled her on top of him. "Like you'll always be my beautiful, sexy, and sometimes crazy wife."

Hermione shifted her weight, reluctantly straddling him. She could feel him become slightly aroused as she moved, watching as he bit his lips together to suppress a moan. "Draco I…"

Draco exhaled slowly as he looked up at her. "I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do. I never have."

"I know," she said, biting her lip. "I just…how long did we wait last time? You know…after -"

"Three months," Draco all but blurted. "I mean, give or take a week. And we can wait that long again. Whatever you want. But if you want to wait, then I cannot have you sitting on me like this."

She grinned mischievously. "Oh really?"

He felt her shift and bit the inside of his cheek in response. "Really, Granger."

Hermione may not have felt entirely confident in herself at the moment, but knowing her husband was clearly becoming more aroused was a definite boost to her self-esteem. Taking in a deep breath, she placed her hands on her hips and looked at him sternly. "If we're going to…you know…do this, there have to be rules."

Draco could hardly hold back the snort. "Rules? What in the bloody hell -"

"Rule number one - you absolutely cannot touch my breasts."

"Excuse me?"

She scowled slightly. "They're sore, and they're currently are your child's only food source - therefore you cannot touch them. They are off limits."

He gave her an irritated look. "Fine."

"Rule number two - my top and my bra stays on."

"Keep the bra, lose the top."

"_Keeping_ the top."

"Granger - "

"Are you wanting sex or not?"

He dug the palms of his hands into his eyes and held back a groan. "Rule number three?"

Hermione sucked in a deep breath and forcefully exhaled. "After you know…do what you always do before we, um, have sex, I'm going to want to be on top…because you're, you know…I mean, I just don't…" she could feel herself getting flustered, and him wiggling his hips underneath her wasn't helping. "I want to be able to control, you know, how much of…you…is in me…because you're so, I mean, you're just -"

"I have a big dick," Draco clarified with a laugh.

She smacked him in the chest. "Must you be so crude!"

"What! It's the truth! Look at it - it's huge!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Yes. You're what one would consider to be described as _well endowed_."

"Just say I have a big dick, Granger. You know you want to."

"I most certainly will not say that!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flushed. "And you'll quit saying it if you want this to continue."

"Of course, dear," Draco mocked. His hands dipped between her skin and the waistband of the shorts she stole from him and he gently began to tug them down. "Are their anymore rules?"

"No - I just need to grab my wand so I can mutter a charm since I'm not back on my potion." She climbed off of him and settled down back into the bed, reaching for her wand. She muttered the contraception charm and watched as her stomach glowed a warm yellow color. Setting her wand back down on the nightstand, Hermione noticed how her shorts were no longer on her body, and her husband was hovering over her, completely naked.

"You have to tell me to stop," he whispered in her ear. "I don't want to hurt you."

She nodded. "I'll tell you."

He pressed his lips to hers, drinking her in as he dipped a hand cautiously between her folds, his fingers rubbing against her sensitive flesh. She moaned into his mouth with each flick of his finger, feeling herself become wet at his touch. Hermione arched her back as he dipped a finger inside of her, then two, slowly pumping them in and out as he continued to kiss her hard, pulling at her bottom lip with his teeth when he broke momentarily for air.

"You're so wet," he whispered, his lips moving to her chin, her jaw, and her neck as he carefully inserted a third finger, massaging her just a bit as she moaned. "Does this hurt?"

"No," she breathlessly answered, her hips bucking slightly.

He kept his thumb rubbing against her clit, speeding his movements up slightly as she gasped. Draco knew it wouldn't take much more before she came. Sucking against the pale skin of her neck, he heard her gasp his name as he felt her release against his fingers. As she caught her breath, Draco removed his hand, stroking himself with her juices as he moved to lie next to her. Carefully, Hermione crawled on top of him, still catching her breath from her orgasm. Grabbing his erection, she slid it through her folds, stopping at her entrance. Her other hand pressing into his chest for leverage, she inhaled sharply as she slowly lowered herself onto him.

Draco resisted the urge to slam himself into her, gripping her hips as he watched her mouth drop, feeling himself inch his way inside of her. "Hermione," he hissed, holding her hips tight.

She winced slightly, gasping at his size. After a few moments, she managed to slide herself completely onto him, exhaling slowly as her insides became reacquainted. "I think…I'm ok. We just have to go slow."

He eyed her suspiciously. "Granger -"

"It's ok," Hermione said, slowly rotating her hips as she steadied her hands on his chest. "Just be easy."

Draco did his best to steady his breathing, but he knew he wasn't going to last long regardless of what speed they went at. He felt her clench around him as he moved in sync with her hips, careful not to thrust too hard. "Merlin, Hermione," he hissed as her hips found a rhythmic rotation that was rubbing him in just the right way. "Hermione - Hermione - I'm going to - sweet Merlin's beard!"

Hermione sped her hips up, the sensation between them becoming more pleasurable with every movement. She didn't expect him to last long and she wasn't looking for another orgasm. She winced again at the jerk of his orgasm, uncomfortable for mere seconds as she felt him cum inside of her, clenching tightly around him as he screamed her name a final time. Certain that he was finished, she carefully pulled herself off of him and collapsed next to him, flinging an arm up over her head.

Draco grabbed ahold of her other hand and moved it to his chest, pressing it against his heart as he kept his eyes closed. "Are you ok?"

"Yes," she replied, yawning a bit. "Are you ok?"

"Never better," he replied with a smirk. "Even if you wouldn't take off your top."

Hermione laughed. "You're such a git."

Sitting up, Draco climbed out of bed and picked Hermione up, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck. "Fancy a bath?"

She gave him a slight grin. "Will you be joining me?"

"Only if you take your top off."

"We're a one track mind kind of man today, aren't we Mister Malfoy?"

Draco set her down on the vanity counter so he could draw them a bath and laughed. "Most days really."

Hermione shook her head and rolled her eyes. "At least you're honest."

* * *

><p>Harry kept a keen eye on Albus, who was sitting on the kitchen counter watching intently as Harry made the boys' peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. Ginny was currently at her morning quidditch practice, having made the team before her try out was even over. Harry was undeniably proud of his wife, and he could see that she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Keeping his promise, Harry took an indefinite leave of absence from the Ministry as his family settled into a new routine, and he planned on returning to work on a scaled back schedule in the near future. His current stint as a stay-at-home dad had its bumps, but overall, Harry was enjoying the time he was spending with his sons.<p>

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were on the menu when Harry realized that their pantry was relatively bare and a shopping trip would be in order later that afternoon. Spreading the peanut butter on the bread, Harry watched as Albus seemed to be quite interested in Harry's sandwich making abilities. Just as his brother did at this age, Albus wanted to see what everyone was doing, as if he was afraid he'd miss something amazing. As Harry clapped the peanut buttered pieces of bread on top of the strawberry jellied pieces of bread, James appeared in the kitchen, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He looked at the sandwiches his father made and frowned.

"Daddy, I don't eat strawberry jam."

Harry looked over at his son. "Since when?"

"I'm allergic. I eat blackberry jam." James walked over to the fridge and pulled open the door. Retrieving the blackberry jam jar, he shut the fridge and handed the jar to his father.

"You're allergic to strawberries?"

James nodded, climbing up on the stool in front of the sink so he could wash his hands. "I break out into a super itchy rash and my eyes get really puffy. It's worse than the itches you get from one of Uncle George's tricks at the shop. It's awful."

He was baffled beyond words at this revelation. How could he not know his son was allergic to strawberries? How could Ginny not have told him? Pushing the questions popping into his head away from his forethoughts, he looked over at Albus who was clapping in anticipation. "Is your brother allergic to strawberries too?"

James shook his head. "No, he eats strawberry jam. It's just me."

Harry pulled out two new slices of bread and grabbed a clean knife from the silverware drawer. Popping the blackberry jam lid from the jar, he made a mental note to pick up some more blackberry jam at the store as he scraped the remaining contents of the jar onto the bread. "Are you allergic to anything else?" Harry asked.

"Walnuts," James replied.

"Walnuts?"

"Yep."

Harry picked up Albus and walked him over to the table, sliding him into his booster seat and buckling him in with the straps. James climbed up into the chair next to his brother and waited as Harry walked over with a sandwich for each of them. Albus' sandwich was cut up into bite sized squares while James' sat completely whole. Harry joined his sons with the extra sandwich initially intended for his oldest. Taking a bite of his sandwich, Harry noticed James staring at the sandwich in front of him instead of eating.

"James, eat," he prompted.

James looked up at his father. "You made it wrong."

Arching an eyebrow, Harry put down his own sandwich and stared at his son. "I made it wrong?"

His son nodded. "Mummy cuts off the crusts."

Albus sat contently in his chair, smashing bits of his sandwich into his mouth, as well as his hands. "Mum mum mum mum mum!" he squealed at James' mention of their mother. "Mum ome?" he asked, the 'h' completely missing but understood by Harry just the same.

Harry shook his head. "No, buddy. Mummy will be home soon." He took James' plate from him and with his wand, he managed to slice the crusts off of the sandwich. Pushing the plate back in front of his eldest, he watched as James squinched his face at the sandwich. "See - no more crusts," Harry said.

James sighed. "It's still wrong."

"Dare I ask what's wrong with it this time?"

"Mummy cuts it in half."

With a flick of his wand, the sandwich separated, a clean cut right down the middle. "There. Now it's in half."

Shaking his head, James looked at his father. "She doesn't cut it that way."

Harry could feel his patience growing thin. "In what way does your mother cut the sandwich."

"This ways," James said, motioning diagonally. "She makes two triangles, because triangles are my favorite shape."

Using his wand once more, he managed to mend the sandwich back together, only to slice it once again diagonally so that there were two triangle halves in front of James. "There," Harry said. "Eat."

James looked at the sandwich suspiciously, chewing on his bottom lip before deciding that it was acceptable enough to eat. Harry controlled the urge to roll his eyes at James, while Albus was making a right mess, eating and squishing the sandwich in front of him. As he was retrieving a glass of milk for James and filling up Albus' tippy cup with milk as well, Ginny apparated into the kitchen, greeted with squeals of delight by her children. She levitated her bag full of quidditch gear and sent it to the hall closet and laughed at the jam smeared face of her youngest. "I see Daddy let you feed yourself," she teased, kissing his sticky face as Albus laughed.

"Bite!" Albus exclaimed, taking the piece in his hand and shoving it towards Ginny's mouth.

She took the bite and made a loud "mmhmm!" sound. "Thank you for sharing, Albus! That was so nice of you!"

"Mum ome!" he squealed.

"Yes baby, Mummy's home," she repeated. Ginny ruffled his hair and gave James a wink. "Were you good this morning?" she asked.

James nodded. "Yes, Mummy. I cleaned my room and put all of my toys away."

"Good," she praised. She watched her husband walk over and hand their sons drinks. "Hey," she said as he turned his back to her. "What has you in a sour mood?"

Harry turned back around and shook his head. "Nothing. How was practice."

"Fine - now what's a matter?"

"Nothing," Harry said, a bit tersely. He wasn't about to start what he knew could turn into a row in front of the children. "I didn't expect you home for another hour."

Ginny eyed him, letting him know that this conversation wasn't over. "Wood let us out early - his wife is having a baby and they had an appointment at the healer today."

"Right," Harry replied.

She brushed past him and gave him a peck on the lips before grabbing a wet washcloth to clean up their youngest son. James finished his sandwich and his milk, setting his glass down with a satisfied sigh. "Thanks Daddy!" he said.

Harry laughed. "You're welcome. Why don't you go take James and watch the telly in the other room?"

"Ok," James replied. He waited for his mum to finish wiping jam and peanut butter from his brother's hands before pulling him from his chair and setting him on the ground. "Come on, Albus," he said. "Let's watch Spongebob."

"Bumb bob!" Albus exclaimed, running past his brother towards the family room.

With the children out of the kitchen, Ginny watched as Harry cleaned up the rest of lunch, setting the dishes to clean themselves in the sink as he wiped down Albus' booster seat and tray. She could see he was clearly upset, and decided to take a seat at the table, waiting until he was ready to speak.

"My eldest son is allergic to strawberries. Strawberries and walnuts."

"Yes."

Harry looked at his wife with a glare. "I wasn't aware. I made him a sandwich with strawberry jam and had he not said anything, I would have made him sick!"

Ginny folded her hands in her lap, looking unapologetically at her husband. "James knows what he's allergic to. He has since he was three."

Harry threw the wet rag onto the table. "How do you not tell me that my son is allergic to something!"

"Because at the time you weren't the one in charge of feeding him," Ginny plainly replied. "You were busy being an auror, away for days and weeks at a time on raids, and when I found out he was allergic to strawberries, the child healer ran a series of diagnostic tests to see if he was allergic to anything else - walnuts - and after a potion, James was fine. You were on some two week mission and by the time you got home, I guess I'd forgotten about it."

"You'd forgotten about it?" Harry repeated. "How do you forget about something like that!"

"He also doesn't have tonsils. A healer removed him when he was three as well," Ginny offered, knowing she was adding fuel to his fire. "You were, again, away on a mission raiding followers of Voldermort - gone for nearly a month that time, mind you. James was on his fourth bout of strep throat and the child healer suggested removing his tonsils so George and Mum went with me to St. Mungo's and we had them removed."

Harry peeled his glasses from his face, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He didn't say anything for a few moments as he instead paced back and forth in the kitchen. Finally, he put his glasses back on and sighed. "You didn't think that I needed to know…any of this? Any of this at all?"

Ginny stood up from her chair and crossed her arms against her chest. "Harry - the training and focus required of an auror is a jealous mistress. You were out on dangerous missions those years right after the war, and I was unfortunately left to my own devices, and yes - I picked and I chose what to tell you about and what not to tell you because I knew that if you were worried about us…I wasn't going to put your life in danger because you didn't have complete focus at the task you were given." She tucked the fly away strands of hair fallen from her sloppy ponytail and tucked them behind her ears. "I should have told you - yes - and not telling you upon your return from your missions wasn't intentional. I was just so glad to have you home that I didn't really give it much thought."

Sighing, Harry rubbed the back of his neck as he looked everywhere but at his wife. "I still should have known."

"I don't disagree. But up until a few weeks ago - I was the primary caregiver - and those that needed to know knew."

"Like?"

"My parents, George, Draco -"

"Draco knew and I didn't! Are you bloody kidding me, Gin!"

Ginny sighed. "He used to babysit him every Saturday - so yes - he knew what James was allergic to."

"And the tonsils?"

"Brought the child watermelon flavored, dragon shaped jello molds for two solid weeks."

Scowling, Harry put his glasses back on and itched his lower lip with his thumb. "I deserved to know, Ginny."

"And we deserved for you to be focused so that you would return to us in one piece - and if I recall correctly - even with your complete focus you still managed to catch on _fire_," Ginny hissed. "I'm sorry you're upset, but I'm not about to stand here and defend decisions I made that were the best decision to make in the moment. It wasn't like it was easy - going through it _alone_."

His shoulders dropped, and the slight waiver of emotion in her voice was noticed. "Ginny…"

"Choosing what to tell you and what not to tell you wasn't easy," she repeated, her eyes blinking furiously to keep the tears at bay. "I'm sorry you're upset, but I did what was best for us."

Harry closed the gap between them, embracing his wife in a fierce hug. He buried his face in her neck, smelling her coconut-scented soap from the shower she took before coming home from practice. "I just want to know," he murmured. "You know I feel like I missed everything with James."

Nodding, Ginny returned her husband's hug, her chin resting on his shoulder. "I know. I promise, when you go back to work - and if you are to go out into the field again - I'll tell you if something big happens when you return home."

"Ok," Harry replied, pressing a kiss to her temple.

She let go of her husband and looked up at him, mussing the front of his shaggy black hair with her fingers. "If it makes you feel better - you've not missed anything with Albus."

"Gee, Gin," Harry teased. "That was pretty much a given."

"Just trying to boost your morale a bit."

He pressed a kiss to her lips. "Is there anything else I should know about James?"

Ginny shrugged. "I'm sure there are all sorts of things. But the big things - you know about. Or, you know about now, that is."

"Right," Harry replied, kissing his wife again. Brushing her loose strands of hair back behind her ears, he gave her an apologetic smile. "Would you like to go and watch cartoons with the boys?"

"Actually, it's a gorgeous day outside. I was thinking about maybe the four of us going to the park. We could owl Draco and Hermione - see if they'd like to join with Harper."

Harry smirked. "Sounds like a brilliant plan. I'll give Draco a ring if you'll get the kids ready."

Ginny nodded. "Are we…are we ok?"

"I mean, I'm still upset a bit, but I understand," Harry honestly replied. "I was just taken aback today, I guess."

"Alright," Ginny replied. "I'll go and get the boys ready."

Harry watched as she walked away, calling out to her just before she left the kitchen. "And just in case you forgot - I love you."

She turned around and smiled. "Love you back."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Happy New Year! I hope you enjoy this latest installment :D I must say, though I know I've said it a million times - thank you so much for all of your reviews! I know I haven't been as quick to update as I was with IAU, but now that break is over, I'm hoping it picks up a bit. **_

* * *

><p>"James! Follow your brother up the ladder, son - up the ladder!" Harry called out to his eldest son, who stood at the base of the ladder to the slide while his brother had already managed to toddle his way halfway up the metal rungs. Harry hadn't the foggiest idea as to what his son was staring at, but breathed a small sigh of relief once James regained his focus and started scaling the ladder to help assist Albus - who's latest infatuation at the park was the slide.<p>

Draco laughed as he lightly pushed Harper in the baby swing, a bright yellow hat perched on top of her head to protect her fair skinned face from the sun. "You ought to just put a slide in the backyard - keep the kid occupied all day."

"Right?" Harry remarked, watching as James held onto Albus, both of them squealing with delight as they slid down the bright red slide. "I've actually been thinking about moving…to a house with a bigger backyard, that is."

"Moving?"

"Out of Grimmauld Place, that is," Harry clarified. "It's still hidden under the fidelus charm, it continuously needs maintenance because it's old and has never had a proper renovation…I don't know. I don't want to get rid of the house - but I don't want the kids to grow up there."

Draco nodded, continuing to push Harper as she grinned back at her dad. "Is this fun princess?"

She laughed in response, which Draco took as a yes.

"As crazy as it sounds…I'd love a house like the ones Hermione and I grew up in. Her house was a bit bigger than the Dursley's, but it was very much cozy and comfortable, in a great neighborhood…"

Draco laughed at Harry, slowly pulling the swing to a stop so he could pick Harper out of her swing. "So we're talking like, full blown suburban life."

"It's not a bad life," Harry remarked, keeping an eye on his sons as they were now chasing each other around the slide. "James will go to a muggle school like he is until he gets his letter, and if we live in a neighborhood with kids his age he won't be isolated to just his cousins. Half the Weasleys have no idea how to function in the muggle world - Gin still struggles with it from time to time, and I really think the kids need to learn how to function in both worlds."

"You sound like my wife," Draco remarked, patting Harper on the back as she nuzzled against his chest and let out a sleep yawn. "And not that I'll say it to her face just yet - but you're both right. Muggle Studies at Hogwarts wasn't nearly enough for wizards to truly function outside of the wizarding communities."

Harry smirked. "Did you even pay attention in that class?"

"Yes, because I had _so much_ spare time on my hands that year," Draco dryly remarked. As Harper fell asleep, he gently placed her in the stroller and pulled the light pink shade closed so that she could sleep in the shade. The two of them walked, following the boys as they chased each other near the water sprinklers where other kids were running around, the jets of water cooling them off from the hot, end of June heat.

James looked at his father with a pleading look and Harry laughed, waving them off. "Come on Al!" he squealed, grabbing his brother's hand as they ran over to play in the water with the other kids.

Draco and Harry found themselves an empty bench where they could sit and watch the boys. Draco lightly rolled Harper's stroller back and forth as she slept, the two of them laughing as James and Albus squealed with delight as the water sputtered out of the ground in a pattern. "So…" Draco said. "How are things going - you being home taking care of the kids, that is."

Harry shrugged. "Fine I guess - haven't killed them yet, much to Ginny's shock I'm sure."

"Are you still pissed at her?"

"For what?"

Draco nodded towards the kids. "You know, keeping things from you…and all that nonsense?"

Harry shrugged with a sigh. "Why do you ask?"

"Because Gin thinks you're still pissed at her."

"I forgave her," Harry replied. "Did she say something to you?"

Laughing, Draco peered into the stroller just to make sure Harper was still sleeping. "Yes," he said as he closed the shade again. "She said, 'Harry's still pissed at me that I didn't tell him James was allergic to strawberries."

"And walnuts," Harry nearly spat. "And let's not forget the child is without tonsils."

"Oh yeah, it definitely sounds like you forgave her," Draco said with an unbelieving look.

Harry pushed his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose and kept his gaze on his boys. He thought for all intents and purposes that he'd forgiven his wife for the lack of information that had been relayed to him about their son, but as he thought back over the past month or so, he could see where she probably got the idea that he wasn't completely over it. "I might still be a bit sore about the whole thing."

Draco nodded, a hand still gently rocking the stroller. "It'd probably be in your best interest to get over it."

"Probably."

"You two look like the sorriest group of mates I've ever seen in my life!" a voice boomed from behind them. They both turned around and smirked at the infamous Blaise Zabini, who was walking with more of an almighty strut than usual. "Strollers, diaper bags…are your balls still attached or did the womenfolk steal those as well?"

Harry had no problem giving Blaise the finger as Blaise let out a hearty laugh. "I see you've returned from your little Italian jaunt in one piece."

Blaise hopped over the bench, nearly smacking Draco in the face with his shoe as he sat down between them, wrapping an arm around the two men with a wild smirk. "Believe me - it was not easy, men. Not easy at all."

Rolling his eyes, Draco couldn't help but laugh. Blaise and Luna didn't work out in the end - not for a lack of trying on Blaise's part, but because Luna marched to the beat of her own drum, roaming Europe in search of magical creatures. Her quirkiness would always be endearing to Blaise, but he was at a point where he wanted all or nothing with the blond witch, and she couldn't be tamed. So Blaise was back to nothing, splitting time in London with family and friends and his harem of women in Italy.

"Uncle Blaise!" they heard James shriek, tearing across the park with his brother following him in pursuit. Both of the boys were soaking wet, launching themselves onto Blaise before he could stop them. "You're back!"

"You're soaked!" Blaise exclaimed in disgust, doing his best to ignore the urge to shove the sopping wet kids off of him. Albus pushed past his brother and crawled up into Blaise's lap, his little arms hugging tight around his neck. Digging his wand from his pocket, he looked around for a moment before casting a quick drying spell on the three of them. "That's better," he proclaimed, pocketing his wand. "Having fun in the water, I see."

James nodded. "How long are you back for this time?"

"A few weeks, at the very least."

Harry ruffled his son's hair. "Just think James, he'll be able to see your football game next weekend."

"That's right!" James remembered. "Will you come and watch? Please? My teams colors are red and gold - just like Manchester United and Gryffindor!"

Blaise made a face. "Do I have to wear either of those heinous colors to the game?"

James sighed heavy with a dramatic eye roll. "Noooo…you just have to cheer for me when I score goals - and I score lots of goals, Uncle Blaise. Last game, I scored like, six of them. So will you come? Please!"

Blaise pretended to mull his requirements over as James clasped his hands together. "I guess I can manage."

James pumped an arm in the air. "Yes!"

Albus mimicked, nearly catching Blaise in the jaw. "Yes!" he cheered, matching his brother's enthusiasm.

"Come on Albus - let's go back and play in the water!"

"Kay," Albus replied, sliding off of Blaise's lap to follow his brother.

The boys ran back towards the fountains, and Blaise cautiously peered into the stroller at the sleeping baby. "She's getting so big," he whispered.

Draco nodded. "You can hold her, you know."

Blaise shook his head no. "I just want to watch."

"What kind of godfather doesn't want hold his goddaughter?" Harry ribbed.

"The kind that never should have been made one to begin with," Blaise said with a snort. "I am not godfather material."

"Take it up with the wife," Draco replied. "It was her idea, not mine." Draco figured Hermione would want Harry to be Harper's godfather, but Hermione insisted that the honor go to Blaise, as he was the force that helped snap her out of the funk she couldn't seem to shake. _We wouldn't have her without him_, Hermione said as they fawned over their newborn daughter in the hospital. _It only seems fair._ "I promise," Draco said. "You can't hurt her."

Blaise scrunched his face up as he watched Harper sleep. "Maybe when she gets a bit bigger. Albus wasn't nearly that tiny when I held him."

"Albus was never as tiny as she," Harry replied with a laugh. "She's a dainty little thing."

"Exactly," Blaise replied, reaching a hand into the stroller to softly pet the soft flesh of her arm. Leaving Harper to her nap, Blaise pulled back his hand and closed her shade once more. "So where's Granger and the She-Devil?"

Harry smacked Blaise upside the head. "I'm telling Ginny you called her that again."

"It's out of love."

"Right," Draco said with a snort. "They're out shopping today. I'm back at work now, and since Hermione is still at home with Harper, I've been booting her out of the house on the weekends so I can spend time with Harper Grace without having to share."

Blaise laughed. "You hog your child from your own wife? That's cutthroat, Malfoy."

"She gets to spend all day with her during the week. It's only fair I get to keep her on the weekends."

"They're married with a custody agreement," Harry teased.

Draco laughed. "I guess we are…though I think Hermione's itching to go back to work."

"Really?" Blaise said. "Being a stay-at-home mom isn't working out for her?"

He shook his head. "She thinks it's working out for her, but I think she's got about a week left in her before she caves."

Blaise looked over at Harry. "How's it going with you playing Mister Mom?"

Harry gave Blaise a good shove in the arm. "Just fine, thank you."

"You aren't itching to get back to work?" Blaise prodded.

Harry shook his head. "Not yet anyway. It's been nice, actually, spending time with them. Ginny loves playing with the Harpies, though I must say I didn't give her nearly enough credit in the whole raising children department. It's exhausting - I don't know how she did it by herself when I was away."

"Listen - I might call your wife a She-Devil because there are days I believe she lives with the sole intent to put a burr in my ass," Blaise confessed. "But even I can acknowledge that your wife has freakish abilities to handle chaos. She's like, superwoman. A She-Devil superwoman."

* * *

><p>"Seriously Ginny, I underestimated you. You must be superwoman."<p>

Ginny laughed at Hermione as the two browsed a baby boutique, collecting clothes for their children. "I'm hardly superwoman."

Hermione shook her head. "No - you are. I don't know how you, or your mother for that matter did it. Staying at home is literally driving me out of my mind. There are days where I feel like my brain is melting into unrecoverable mush. I mean, I love my baby. Love her more than I've ever loved anything. But if I don't go back to work I may as well commit myself to St. Mungo's because I am losing my mind, Ginny. Losing my mind."

She knew she was rambling, but she couldn't help it. Hermione was someone who needed constant stimulation, and as of late, she'd been having a lot of one-sided conversations with Harper, would only gurgle and laugh in return.

"I've been there," Ginny said with a laugh. "Trust me - when Harry would be gone for training or on missions and it was just me and James…I'd go to Mum's just so I could get a decent ribbing from George or an actual conversation from Mum and Dad. I'd visit with Draco as well once he was in the picture. It's how we became friends, actually, now that I think of it."

Smiling, Hermione pulled out a dark green sleeper with pink daisies printed all over the garment. "I'm sure you two had more rows than conversations."

"At first, yes," Ginny confessed with a grin. "But trust me - I even enjoyed fighting with Draco - that's how starved I was for a decent conversation. Now my husband - that's another story."

Hermione draped the sleeper over the other clothes she had hanging from her arm and looked at Ginny. "He's still mad?"

"He says he isn't, but I can tell he's still bothered," Ginny replied. "He forgets I can read him like a book." She flipped through the round rack of boys' clothes, pulling a few things that would be perfect for Albus come fall. "I'm not sorry I didn't tell him, and if I had to do it all over again, I'd do it just the same. I'm sure there are hoards of women who think being married to 'The Chosen One' is a charmed life, and some days, it is. But there are other days - more days even - that being married to him has scared the hell out of me. I did what was best for us at that moment in time, and he can just adapt." She pulled a red, long sleeved shirt with thin white stripes off of the rack and showed it to Hermione. "I just love Albus in stripes."

She nodded with a grin. "He does wear them well."

"James of course always wanted to wear something with a ball on it - any kind of ball. 'Ball!' he'd exclaim, anytime he saw something round, or something he could pick up and toss," Ginny said with a reminiscing smile. "I wish he'd stop getting so big though."

"Growing up is inevitable," Hermione replied with a sigh. "You could always have another."

Snorting, Ginny shook her head. "I'll have you know that since picking quidditch back up - I have abs again. Real abs. I'm going to enjoy them a bit longer before Harry and I have another."

Hermione giggled as Ginny pat her stomach for added emphasis. "Now - I could live with Harper growing up just a bit. If she could talk back, I might not lose my mind when my days just consist of her and me."

Ginny laughed. "If you want to go back to work, 'Mione, just go back."

Hermione sighed. "I can't."

"Why? You know Draco won't care. I hear he's taking bets on when you're going to crack and go back anyway. So find out which day he didn't put a couple of galleons on and ask Kingsley for your job back. And if you had to pick a day…I mean, July third sounds like a brilliant day to start working. Or the seventh…that's sounds like a good day as well. Plus seven's a lucky number you know. But not the fourth, or the sixth. Those…those aren't productive days in my book. Not at all."

She dropped her shoulders and laughed. "I just don't know. Draco talks about how he was practically raised by Dobby and it literally breaks my heart. My own mum didn't go back to work until I was five. If she of all people can stay at home then I certainly can."

"You can't compare what Harper's upbringing will be like to Draco's," Ginny said gently.

"I know," Hermione replied. "I mean, don't get me wrong - Jori would be doing backflips all over the house if we asked her to care for Harper during the day."

Ginny moved over to another rack, searching for pants that James as he kept growing out of his. "You could always let Narcissa and Lucius watch her…"

Hermione pursed her lips together at Ginny's words. She'd be lying if she said the thought hadn't crossed her mind, only she'd have her in-laws watch Harper with Jori present. She knew her Narcissa and Lucius adored Harper - there was no question about it, and deep down, Hermione didn't think she'd have any problem letting the two of them watch Harper. Of course, that is if Jori went along as well. She wasn't sure how wild Draco would be about the idea, but then again, she'd never really asked, either.

"It doesn't matter anyway," she said as she looked through a basket of headbands and hair bows. Not that her daughter needed more - Draco had been collecting them left and right. Harper was pretty good about wearing headbands, though now she could jerk her arm up and catch it on her head if she tried hard enough, flinging the piece of satin covered elastic off of her head. She had a few light blond wisps of hair on her head, but it was too thin for a clipped hair bow- much to her father's dismay. "I don't see me going back to work anytime soon."

"You could always work from home, you know," Ginny offered. "Remember when you had the idea to raise money for a children's wing at St. Mungo's? I'm sure you could do a lot of that work from home. Then it'd be the best of both worlds. And if you had to leave for a meeting or something, Jori, Lucius and Narcissa, or hell - even Harry - could help with Harper if necessary." Ginny pulled a kid sized _Manchester United_ shirt for James and added it to her pile. "I mean, you could do all sorts of philanthropy from home if you thought about it."

The more Ginny spoke, the more Hermione realized how much sense her friend made. "Damn it, Ginny - you're brilliant!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Why can't I have the best of both worlds?"

Ginny smirked. "You can."

"Seriously, Gin, you're brilliant," Hermione remarked once again, tucking strands of her short hair back behind her ears.

"I'm aware," Ginny replied. "Come on - let's purchase the lot we have and try some clothes on for ourselves."

Hermione nodded. "We can certainly find you clothes - I however am not purchasing anything new until I lose the last few pounds of my pregnancy."

Rolling her eyes at her friend's ridiculous statement, Ginny made her way to the register as Hermione followed. "We'll see about that."

* * *

><p>Hermione had spent Monday through Wednesday brainstorming and formulating her philanthropic ideas in the study so that she could work and stay at home with Harper, who was currently gnawing on her fist as she kicked her legs while lying on the pink and yellow baby blanket Narcissa made for her. Walking around from Draco's desk, where she had been working, Hermione stacked up her information and written ideas in an orderly and organized fashion before getting down on the floor with her daughter. Hovering over Harper, she lightly tickled her three-month-old daughter's belly and laughed as she giggled.<p>

"Such a silly girl!" Hermione said, tickling her again. "Mummy's come up with a brilliant plan, Harper Grace - yes she did! Now we can play and work all day together so that Mummy doesn't lose her mind!"

Harper grinned and garbled some nonsense, making Hermione smile. Her child healer found it remarkable at her last check up at how vocal Harper was. Of course, that was also the moment Draco chose to take a playful dig at his wife.

"_It actually isn't all that remarkable - I mean, you've met her mother - she never stops talking!" _

_Hermione's eyes grew wide at his words as an impish grin tugged at his lips. "Draco Malfoy!" she exclaimed._

"_Are you really going to sit there and deny it?" Draco goaded with glee. "I'm sure once she actually learns words she'll be talking our ears off for the rest of our lives." _

_She felt her cheeks blush as she looked at Healer Watson. "I'm terribly sorry. Please forgive my husband." _

_Healer Watson grinned. "No apology necessary. It's quite entertaining, really." _

_Hermione blushed even further as Draco laughed. "Now she's speechless." _

_She reached out and smacked him upside the head. "You're going to wish I was speechless when we get home!"_

"_Somehow, I think I'll survive," he replied with a glint in his eye._

Scooping Harper off of the floor, she held her close to her chest as Hermione stood up, fixing her gaze towards the bookcase, scanning for a particular book. Harper continued to gnaw on her fist as Hermione dragged a hand across the various titles before finding what she was looking for. "Here it is!" she exclaimed softly, pulling the old book with it's worn leather binding from the shelf. "Since we finished _Beauty and the Beast _last week, Miss Harper, Mummy's decided to start a new book. Are you excited?"

Harper stared at her mother as she spoke, something the baby often did when her parents spoke to her - Draco more so than Hermione. Hermione swore that Draco's voice alone could lull their child into a bought of sleep, or calm her during her fussiest of fits. Of course, she would often wake up in the middle of the night when she was pregnant with Draco's head resting against the swell of her belly, caressing it softly as he spoke to their daughter. She never let him know she was awake though, because she almost felt like she was intruding on a private moment - despite the fact that the other party in the moment was kicking against the feel of his hand.

When Draco came home from work, he could hear the faint sound of Hermione's voice from upstairs as he shut the front door. Jori popped into the foyer at the sound of Draco's arrival and beamed at her master. "Master Draco! Jori scrubbed all the floors today so that Miss Harper will always be clean when she plays!"

He gave the elf a loving pat on the head. "Well, that sounds like a little bit of overkill, but the floors look great. Thank you, Jori."

"And Jori washed clothes and used that funny muggle contraption to clean all of the carpets! Jori did not like how loud it was though, so Jori jammed socks in her ears, sir, to make the noise go away. Jori hopes this does not displease Master Draco._"_

Draco laughed. "Were they my socks?"

She shook her head. "No Sir! Jori would never use your socks! Mister Blaise left socks here when visited last so Jori used those!"

"Works for me," Draco replied with a smirk. "Is Hermione upstairs?"

Jori nodded. "Misses Hermione is reading a book to Harper - Jori was listening from the outside."

"Were you now?" he asked. "You know - I'm sure you could always go in and listen _inside_ the room."

"Oh no!" Jori exclaimed. "Jori would never intrude, Master Draco!"

Draco motioned for the elf to follow him up the stairs as he pulled at the knot in his tie. "Hermione won't care if you listen, Jori. I'm sure she'd enjoy reading to both you and Harper. She just wants you to be happy."

"Jori is happy! Jori is very happy to serve you and Misses Hermione and Misses Harper!"

Draco reached the second floor landing and rounded the railing to head up to the third floor. "She has a special place in her heart for elves, Jori. She tried to free all of the elves at Hogwarts when she was in school."

Jori stopped in her footsteps. "But…Misses Hermione is so nice! Jori does not understand why Misses Hermione would do such an awful thing!"

He turned around and looked at the appalled elf. "Because in her head, she thought elves would be happier if they were free."

The elf clasped her hands together and rung them back and forth. "But Master Draco, what would elves do if they didn't have masters?"

"In a perfect Granger world?" Draco asked. "I don't know, whatever you want, I imagine. Look - I can't explain the ways in which the woman thinks - especially since I'm quite positive that there are days when she's gone completely mental. It just took her a while to realize that wizards use elves like muggles use servants. Once she realized this, she then changed her tireless crusade so that elves were treated better."

The two of them reached the top of the third floor and heard Hermione's soft voice reading a story that Draco didn't recognize. With a little knock on the door, Draco motioned for Jori to follow as Hermione looked up at him. She closed her book and pointed. "Look, Harper, Daddy's home!"

Draco walked across the room and greeted Hermione with a kiss as she stayed curled up on the couch with Harper in the crook of her arm. He then pressed a light kiss to the top of his daughter's head as she swatted at the red tie dangling in front of her. "What are you reading?"

"_Peter Pan_," Hermione replied.

"Never heard of it."

"It's about a boy who never wants to grow up," Hermione replied.

"So it's a story about the Weasel?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Funny, Draco. Always the comedian."

He kissed her lips again. "I try." He motioned with his head behind him. "I think when you have story time, you should invite Jori," he whispered in her ear. "She listens to you from outside of the door, you know."

She looked slightly appalled as she looked over to Jori. "Jori! Of course you can come and sit with us when I read!"

Draco dropped his head and chuckled. "You realize I whispered so that you'd not embarrass her, right?"

Hermione handed Harper to Draco and sat up to look at Jori. "You're apart of this family, Jori," she said to the elf that had taken a sudden interest in the floor. "Harper and I would love for you to read with us!"

Jori looked up at Hermione. "Really?"

"Really," Hermione replied. "I'm so sorry I didn't think to ask before."

"It's ok, Misses Hermione," Jori said. "Would Misses Hermione and Master Draco like for Jori to start making supper?"

Hermione nodded. "Actually, Jori, that would be wonderful."

Jori happily popped out of the study, leaving the little family alone. Draco held Harper up into the air, grinning as she stared back at him quite happily. "Do you miss Daddy when he's away?" he asked. "Because Daddy missed you terribly!"

She laughed as Draco continued to have a conversation with their daughter about the mundane tasks of his day, while she went back to his desk to grab everything she'd been working on. "So Draco…I've been doing some thinking…"

"Merlin help me," Draco teased, as he shifted Harper in his arms.

Hermione gave him a pointed stare. "Listen. I love staying home with Harper. I do. But I'm losing my mind in the process. Therefore, I've made a list of charities I would like our family to start working with - separated of course into a wizard list and a muggle list, a list of charities I'd like to create - again, both wizard and muggle, and I've begun to schedule meetings so that we can start the ball rolling. This way, I can work from home, and if I do have to go somewhere without Harper, Jori, Molly, or your parents can watch her while I'm away."

Draco smirked. "I knew you'd crack."

"Don't tease! I really thought I could be a stay at home mom but I just can't," Hermione dejectedly sighed.

He opened his free arm and Hermione walked into it, resting her head on Draco's chest as he hugged her. "I wasn't saying it to be mean," he replied. "I just know you."

Hermione looked up at her husband and made a face. "Please. I know all about the bet."

He hugged her again. "All in good fun - I promise!"

Sighing, she wrapped her arms around her husband's waist. "I need to work. And if that makes me a terrible mother -"

"Stop it," Draco said, cutting her off. "I know I haven't seen…details of what I am sure is a well thought out and ridiculously meticulous plan that could only come from the mind of Granger, but I know it's probably brilliant and if it lets you stay at home and work at the same time - then I say it's worth it."

Hermione looked up at her husband, biting her lips together. "Really?"

He bent his head down and kissed her soundly all the while keeping a firm hold on their daughter. "Believe me when I say that your sanity is something I truly cherish. And you're a brilliant mother, Granger. Harper couldn't get a better one if she tried."

She swatted him in the chest as he laughed. Grabbing her stack of paperwork to look at with Draco over dinner, Hermione straightened up his desk back to the way she previously found it. "Who won?" she asked as the two left the study.

"Excuse me?"

Hermione took Harper back from Draco. "The bet."

* * *

><p>"James!"<p>

The seven year old whipped his head around at the sound of his name and saw his Uncle Draco holding out a small velvet sack. "I'll be right back," he said to his friends in the middle of the field and sprinted towards the bleachers. "I won?"

Draco handed the bag of galleons over to James and sighed. "Yes. You won."

"How much?"

"150 Galleons."

James let out a victorious shout and gave the bag to Molly, who was laughing at her grandson's antics. "I knew I'd win! Grandma - hold this for me will you? I've gotta go warm up!"

Molly reached out and grabbed James' by the face to kiss his forehead. "Of course, dear. Go out and remember - have fun!"

"I will!"

James scampered back off to the middle of the field where his teammates were while his fan section settled themselves. Hermione always thought game days for James was amusing because they were days that Molly, Arthur, Narcissa, and Lucius found themselves dressing more like muggles and less like wizards. To any muggle, they blended in perfectly, but it was quite a sight - seeing Arthur and Lucius wearing attire more suited for a golf excursion instead of a day at the Ministry. Lucius was even wearing a ball cap with his long white hair tucked up underneath it, as it would have looked incredibly out of place to have his hair down and tied back with a black ribbon with his current attire.

Blaise looked at Draco, as he sported the same red Manchester United shirt that Harry wore, and scowled. "How do you even wear that atrocious color?"

"It's not as if the shirt is permanently fastened to my body," Draco remarked.

Lucius looked over at his son, the men sitting in the row directly behind the women in the front row. "You're certain this charm will last?"

He looked at his father's bare left arm as he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and nodded. "I cast it every day, Father," he reassured Lucius. "If you leave it be, you won't be able to see it until late this evening."

Albus crawled off of Arthur's lap and over to Blaise, standing up on his thighs as Blaise held onto him by the waist. "Up!" he shouted. "Up!"

Blaise was confused. "Up where, Albus?"

"Up!" the two year old shouted again.

"Your shoulders," Harry clarified, appearing with popcorn for everyone while Ginny followed with drinks. "He wants to sit up on your shoulders."

"Well why doesn't he just say so?" Blaise asked.

Ginny shot Blaise a look. "Are you kidding me, Zabini?"

Picking Albus up, Blaise plopped him up on his shoulders and laughed. "Yes, actually. I just wanted to see what you'd say."

Making a face at him, Ginny turned around and sat next to Hermione, who kept an eye on Harper as she napped in her stroller. "She should be waking up soon," Hermione said.

"Good - because you know James is going to know if she slept through the _entire_ championship game," Ginny replied.

Another family came over and sat near them, and at the sight of Lucius and Narcissa looking uncomfortable as they weren't accustomed yet to sitting in groups amongst muggles, Molly and Arthur swapped them places so that they weren't sitting on the edge of the group. "Hey Greg!" Harry called out to the blond headed man holding a son who appeared to be Albus' age. "Guys, this is Greg Illingworth - his son Phillip is on James' team. Greg, you remember my wife, Ginny, and her parents, Arthur and Molly."

Greg nodded, wiping a hand on his pants before shaking hands with Arthur. "Yes of course - you were here a few games back. Great to see you again."

"Greg's running for a seat in the House of Commons," Harry said, despite knowing that only Hermione and Draco truly understood what that was. "Labour Party, right?"

"Indeed," Greg said. "You of course remember my wife, Katherine, right?"

A tall brunette with her long hair pulled back in a ponytail waved at the crowd. Both she and her husband appeared to be in their mid-thirties, and from what Hermione remembered Harry saying about the family - always enjoyable to visit with. "Of course we do," Ginny replied with a smile. "Stephen is getting so big!"

"He is," Katherine agreed as her son waved at Albus, who was waving back. "Getting into everything, of course."

"Same here," Ginny agreed.

At the sound of Harper fussing, Hermione reached into the stroller and pulled out her daughter, who was promptly taken out of her hands by Harry. "Excuse me?" she said, arching an eyebrow.

"I never get to hold her," Harry reasoned.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're just as ridiculous as my husband."

Harry ignored her retort and showed off the little girl to Greg and Katherine. "This is Harper," he said, waving her little hand at his muggle friends.

"Hello," Hermione interjected, walking around so that she could properly shake Greg and Katherine's hand. "I'm Hermione Granger-Malfoy."

Greg shook her hand, a quirk of a smile pressing on his lips. "Hermione Granger…you're don't happen to be Richard and Jean Granger's daughter, are you?"

She nodded quite carefully. "Yes…yes I am."

Greg laughed as he let go of her hand. "You don't remember me, but I remember you - I used to work in your parents' office during the summer filing charts. You were just a little thing, running around the office instructing the little kids how to properly brush their teeth when they'd bring you into work."

Hermione could feel her cheeks blushing as she heard Draco laugh. "Nice to know the bossiness started early," he teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him and Greg laughed. "So how are your parents?"

"They passed away," she replied, plain as day. "Car accident."

"How dreadful!" Greg exclaimed in horror. "I'm so sorry!"

She waved him off. "Thanks, but it's ok. It happened a few years back." Hermione looked over at Draco and gave him a small smile. "It's nice to finally meet you both though," she said, her attention back to them. "Well, you again, of course, Greg. My husband is the down on the end - Draco, his best friend, Blaise Zabini, and these are his parents, Lucius and Narcissa."

Draco gave the two a wave while Lucius and Narcissa nodded politely. "What fascinating names!" Katherine gushed.

"Thank you," Narcissa said with a hesitant smile.

"Are they family names?" Katherine asked.

"Yes," Hermione quickly interjected.

"You know," Harry said, helping Hermione change the subject. "If you're interested in philanthropy projects - Katherine here is the one to talk to."

Hermione clapped her hands together. "That's wonderful! That is of course, if you wouldn't mind me picking your mind about a few ideas, of course."

"Not at all," Katherine replied.

At the sound of the whistle, everyone took their seats as the game was ready to begin. James was standing next to Phillip, numbered 7 and 8 respectively, and he looked over and gave his family a big wave before putting on his 'game face.' Of course, 7-8 year old soccer games weren't incredibly organized in terms of using a plan of attack, but Draco and Harry both remarked at how it was much better than the year before, when the game was twenty minutes of all the kids running around and chasing the ball aimlessly in a swarm. Half the time the player kicking the ball wasn't kicking toward the right goal. This year seemed to have a bit more of an idea as to the point of the game, and there was far less swarming.

The game was a close one, each of the team staying neck and neck during the first two periods. Harry gave Harper up midway through the first period so that Hermione could feed and change her. Of course, upon their return Arthur promptly confiscated the baby girl, as he was having fun explaining the concept of football to both Harper and Lucius. Draco, Blaise, Harry, and Greg alike were quite vocal during the game, cheering each time James or Phillip had the ball. One would have thought they were at the World Cup with the amount of noise coming from the small section of bleachers. James of course ate it all up, grinning like a maniac every time he heard his name through the cheers.

Albus of course clapped and cheered anytime he saw James run by, still perched up on Blaise's shoulders, content as can be. Near the end of the third period, the game was tied 9-9 - James scoring five of the goals - and as James kicked the black and white ball up the field, he was intentionally tripped by one of the opposing team members in green and greeted with a shove from another.

"Bad form!" Blaise shouted with complete disgust, jumping to his feet and pointing as the referees didn't bother to blow a whistle. "Bad form!"

"Blaise!" Ginny exclaimed at Blaise before turning her attention back to the field. "It's ok James!" she shouted, clapping her hands. "You're alright, sweetheart."

"Brush it off, buddy!" Harry encouraged, clapping as well.

James leapt up to his feet, brushing the stray blades of grass from his uniform away while pushing his glasses up to the bridge of his nose. He looked at the kid who pushed him and made a face. "That wasn't very nice."

"Whatever, four-eyes," the raven haired kid scowled, pushing past James again, shoving his shoulder into him as he went by, high-fiving his teammate as they laughed at James.

Phillip ran over to James and patted him on the shoulder. "Idiots," he remarked. "Wait - don't tell my Mum I said that."

James laughed. "I won't."

The game dwindled down to the final minute, with the game still tied. The men stood up behind the women, cheering wildly for both James and Philip as their team raced up the field towards the goal. Ginny and Molly were jumping up and down, screaming and clapping as Hermione stood with her arms braced across her chest, laughing at all the commotion. As Phillip kicked the ball over to James, he got ready to kick it into the goal when he was intentionally pushed down again before the buzzer.

"Hey!" Harry bellowed at the referee - pointing towards James and the offending child.

James, flat on his back, sat up quickly, looked at the kid in green and scowled.

Albus yelled just as loudly as Blaise and Draco were at the referees before someone finally blew a whistle. When the kid who pushed James down got close again, Albus shook his fist and yelled, "not nice!" At his clear words - the clearest words he'd said to date, the kid in green flew backwards unexpectedly and landed flat on his back. "Not nice!" Albus yelled again.

The wizards in the group stole quick glances of 'holy shit' at one another as James got up from the ground and walked over to the kid in green, holding his hand out to the offending kid. "Here," he said.

Reluctantly, the kid grabbed James' hand and allowed James to help him, scampering off back to his teammates before James could say anything. The referee set up James' penalty kick on the mark and the two teams stood behind him, his team cheering loudly while the other team shouted as a means of distraction. He looked over at his family and saw his parents clapping, while Blaise and Draco gave him a thumbs up. He looked at Hermione, who gave him a smirk and upwards nod.

"You ready?" the referee asked.

James nodded, wiping his hands on the front of his jersey. Backing up from the ball just as he did in his own backyard when he practiced, he counted three big steps backwards and the big steps to the left. He took in a deep breath and stared at the goalie, noticing how far to the right he stood in the goal. Quickly, he began his approach and just as the goalie lunged towards the right, James changed the course of his kick and shot the goal towards the left side of the net, cheering as the ball swished into the net.

He threw his arms out to his side and ran around as if he was flying, his teammates following suit as their parents cheered! Harry all but leapt out of the bleachers and ran towards James, sweeping him off the ground and tossing him into the air. "You were brilliant!" he exclaimed, catching his son as he hugged him tight. "Absolutely brilliant!"

"We won the big trophy!" James exclaimed as other parents filtered onto the field, some congratulating their kids while others did some consoling. Blaise and Draco trotted onto the field, high-fiving James as Harry set him down on the ground. "Did you see my goal?"

"I sure did!" Blaise exclaimed. "Now where's that little git that kept shoving you."

"His name's Donovan," James replied. "He's in my grade at Manchester Day…and he's a gigantic butt head."

Harry looked down at his son and laughed. "Don't let your mother hear you say that word or else you're going to be the one paying galleons."

Ginny appeared on the field, and James broke out into a full sprint at the sight of her. He launched himself into her arms and hugged her tight as she kissed his cheek. "You were wonderful, sweetheart!" she exclaimed. "You played such a great game!"

James gave his mother a big kiss on her cheek and another hug. "I did, didn't I?"

Laughing, Ginny ruffled his hair as she let him go. "Very much so."

After the awards ceremony, Hermione took a good look at James who was sitting in between his grandparents under the large park pavilion, showing off his trophy. As he looked up, she spotted a crack in one of his lenses. Smiling at a particular memory, she called for James to come over to her, which he did willingly. He had dirt smudged on his nose and his hair was a wild mess, the ends slightly curled from the sweat. "Yes, Aunt Hermione?"

Harry, who was standing with the boys, glanced over and saw Hermione look around to make sure they were the only ones left. Pulling her wand from her purse, she aimed it at his face and grinned as his eyes went wide. "_Oculus Reparo," _she whispered as the broken glass fused back together.

James took his glasses off his face quickly and examined them before putting them back on. "That was bloody wicked, Aunt Hermione!" he exclaimed.

Harry laughed as James ran off to show his mother his glasses. Walking over to his best friend, Harry sat down and draped an arm around her shoulders. "What would we do without you, Hermione?" he teased.

"I quite honestly have no idea," she honestly replied, keeping a straight face for a few moments before breaking into a slight giggle.

Across the pavilion, Draco placed Harper in her stroller and kissed her forehead before saying goodbye to his parents. "We'll come and pick her up after dinner."

Narcissa nodded. "You know, Draco, you could always let her…you know, spend the night."

"Yeah…I'm not sure if Hermione's ready for that just yet," he replied, though if he was honest, he would admitted that he wasn't all that ready for Harper to have a sleepover either. "But I will certainly discuss it with her."

"Please do," Lucius encouraged.

"I will," he promised.

A taupe colored mini-van pulled up by the pavilion and honked. As the passenger window rolled down, Greg leaned over and waved as Katherine smiled at everyone. "We're getting ready to go get some celebratory pizza at the Pizza Palace up the street just a bit. You all care to join us?"

Harry and Ginny looked at James, who silently pleaded no with his father. "Thanks, Greg, but we'll have to pass on this one - we have dinner with the grandparents tonight," he lied smoothly.

"No problem!" Greg exclaimed. "We'll see you when school starts back up!"

James nodded as he waved. "Bye Mister Illingworth! Bye Miss Katherine!"

As the van drove off, James breathed a sigh of relief. "For a minute there, I thought you forgot our plans, Daddy."

Harry laughed. "How could I possibly forget a victory dinner at The Three Broomsticks and a trip to Uncle George's shop?"

"Beats me," James replied, grabbing his large trophy from the table. He walked over to Lucius and Narcissa and gave them hugs, thanking them for coming to his game. Narcissa willingly accepted the hug, while Lucius gave the boy a content pat on the head as James and his slender, sweaty arms hugged him. Peering into the stroller, he looked at Harper and let her grip his finger with her tiny hand. "I wish you could come with us," he said. "But you're the only who isn't coming. Albus is going home with Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur. You can come with us when you're bigger." He leaned in and kissed her forehead before scampering off to say goodbye to his own grandparents.

The Three Broomsticks was a treat for James, as was a trip to Hogsmeade itself. As they all disapparated to the village outside of Hogwarts, they found George and Angelina waiting for them at the entrance. James ran towards his uncle, handing him his trophy as he gave him a high five. "It's almost as cool as a quidditch trophy!" he exclaimed.

George nodded. "Right you are, James. Though I think it might just be cooler."

"Yeah, me too," James replied with a grin. "Wait - if you're here, does this mean we can't go to your shop?"

George laughed. "Well, it is closed up for the day…but I'm sure it could be reopened for a certain football champion nephew…"

"We'll see," Ginny said, kissing her brother on the cheek.

Madam Rosmerta had a large table reserved for the party, and a cherry syrup soda with an umbrella waiting at the table for the guest of honor. As everyone visited and chatted with one another, James sat in between his two parents with a grin on his face.

"Something you care to share with the rest of us?" Draco teased James from across the table.

He shrugged his shoulders as he took a drink. "I kicked the winning goal, I won the big trophy, I won the bet as to when Aunt Hermione would go back to work, I'm pretty sure no one else had as many people cheering for them at the game…it's pretty great being me."

The adults at the table broke out into laughter as James leaned into Ginny. She kissed the top of his head and looked over at Harry. "He's _so _your child."

Harry smirked. "Well, dear, there are worse things to be."


	6. Chapter 6

**_No, you aren't hallucinating - I really did update. But in my defense, this past week I was out of town starting on Wednesday and only returned this evening. I thought I would have had more time to write since I was only going to visit my grandmother and she's got the schedule of a toddler (up by 6, bed by 7), but then other family required my attention and well, you know how that goes._**

**_BTW: if you haven't seen SNL with Daniel Radcliffe hosting - you should catch the clips online. He was pretty hilarious._**

**_Anyway - updating should be back to a regular rotation between the three active stories, and I'm going to start using my profile as a sort of 'update' center for readers, so if there are story update delays, you'll read about them there. I hate it when I get a chapter alert and it's really a two sentence author note because I get my hopes all up and then I'm all disappointed lol. So if you're ever wondering if I've fallen off of the updating wagon, check my profile. I'm sure there will be an update as to where I am. I promise I won't abandon these stories or go months/years without updating them. It just isn't my style._**

**_I also wrote this chapter for all of those who were itching for more Draco/Hermione. I know a lot of you have enjoyed the various character perspectives in this second story, but this chapter is pretty D/H heavy with a little bit of Lucius/Narcissa in between so I really hope you enjoy it!_**

* * *

><p>"So…"<p>

Hermione looked up at her husband as she lounged on the couch with their daughter sitting on her stomach, Harper holding one of her mother's index fingers with her chubby hands. "So…" she mimicked.

Draco laughed. "Well, I was thinking that it was August, and Harper's nearly five months old, and um," he paused briefly as he sat on the opposite end of the couch with Hermione's feet in his lap.

"Harper - when your daddy starts using worlds like 'well,' and 'um,' it means he has an idea, and he thinks Mummy is going to automatically protest," Hermione teased as she talked to her daughter in a light and airy voice.

He pinched her big toe and Hermione dug her heel into his thigh in response. "If you want more children, Granger, I suggest you kindly watch your foot placement."

"If _you _want more children, _Malfoy_, then I suggest you learn that pinching is unnecessary," she mocked with exaggeration while making faces at Harper. Looking past her daughter at her husband's slightly amused face, she could see that behind the smirk he had something he wanted to ask. "What was it you were saying?"

Draco scratched the back of his head. Part of his problem with asking his question was that he wasn't sure how he felt about his own answer, let alone what hers might be. "Mother was asking at the beginning of summer if Harper could have a 'sleepover' of sorts at her house."

Hermione knew this was coming. Narcissa and Lucius had been dropping hints like bludgers left and right about having their granddaughter spend the night, but Hermione hadn't been comfortable yet with the idea of being apart from her daughter. "I suppose a sleepover where we all go to your parents' house isn't what they're looking for either."

"Probably not," Draco chuckled.

"I mean, she is starting to sleep a bit more during the night," Hermione reasoned. "But…didn't you say that your parents rarely got up with you as an infant?"

"Hence my general hesitation," Draco replied. "I mean, obviously they're two different people with her - which I'm only slightly jealous of - but I don't know how confident I feel about letting her stay over either."

Hermione made a face as Harper babbled, waving her arms about while still holding onto her fingers. "What if…what if Jori went with. You know…just to kind of, keep an eye on things."

Shrugging, Draco clapped a hand on top of Hermione's pedicured foot and sighed. "I mean, I know I'd feel less inclined to floo over every five minutes."

"Yeah…" Draco said, the sound of his voice catching Harper's attention. He noticed that every time he spoke, she'd turn her neck as far as she could to see him. Reaching out to her, he picked her up by her waist and Hermione gently pulled her fingers from Harper's hands. Holding her up in the air, she smiled and giggled as Draco made a face at her. "What do you think, pretty girl? Do you want to spend the night at Nana and Grandfather's house?"

Her eyes brightened at the word 'Nana.'

Hermione laughed. "I think she sees them enough that she wouldn't have too much anxiety. And I guess we are just one floo away if we needed to get there - "

"Or vice versa," Draco added with a sigh. "Because they're just going to keep asking."

Hermione sat up a bit on the couch and nodded. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something earlier at breakfast. Maybe we can take Harper over to your parents' and go to dinner…"

Winking, Draco looked at his wife while he held Harper, helping her balance as her little feet stood on his legs. "Why, Hermione Granger, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Only if you're paying," she teased.

Draco laughed, which Harper mimicked. "Your mummy thinks she's _so _funny."

Climbing off the couch, she walked over and dropped a kiss on the top of Harper's head and gave her husband a quick kiss on the lips. "If Daddy continues to tease Mummy, Daddy isn't getting lucky tonight."

"Hey!" Draco exclaimed, quickly hugging Harper close. "Not in front of the baby!"

She laughed. "I'm going to floo over to your parents' and see if tonight's ok. Why don't you go and talk to Jori and see if she can help get a bag ready for her."

With a mock salute, Draco watched as Hermione waved goodbye, grabbed a handful of floo powder, and vanished.

* * *

><p>"Hermione! What a wonderful surprise!" Narcissa exclaimed as her daughter in law walked through the floo and into their living room. "Lucius! Hermione's here!"<p>

Hermione walked over and gave Narcissa a hug. "Hi," she said, a little nervously as Lucius walked into the room. "Hello, Lucius."

Lucius took note that his daughter in law was alone, and made a face. "Where's Harper Grace?"

"With Draco," Hermione replied as she shoved her hands into the back pocket of her jean shorts to keep from fidgeting. "Anyway, we were talking today, which is why I'm over here, about maybe seeing if, of course as long as it's ok with you -"

"Hermione," Lucius interjected with a raised eyebrow. "You're rambling."

"Yes," Hermione agreed, blushing a bit. "Yes I am. Sorry. I just, well, Draco and I were wondering if maybe you would like to have Harper spend the night -"

"Yes!" Narcissa exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Yes of course! Lucius! Isn't this wonderful!"

Lucius stood in the room, stoic as ever. "Yes, Narcissa, but there's no need to shout as we are all in the same room."

His wife turned around and gave him a stare. "Oh shush!"

"Right," Hermione said, taking a deep breath. "I mean, she still wakes up in the middle of the night for a bottle, but she's usually pretty easy to lay back down and -"

"You'll be sending the elf, right?" Lucius asked, interrupting her again.

Nodding, Hermione kept her hands in her back pockets as she rocked back and forth a bit on her feet. "Yes. Draco would feel, and of course, I would as well, a bit more comfortable and it will probably help with Harper if she wakes up and doesn't recognize her surroundings because she's used to Jori."

Narcissa made a face, but said nothing. If having Jori stay as well were the key to getting an entire night and morning with her granddaughter, she would keep her slightly offended feelings to herself. "When will you be bringing her over?"

The clock on the wall read 4:30pm, and Hermione shrugged. "Oh…I'd say in a half hour or so maybe? Draco said he wanted to talk to me about something, so I thought maybe we could have a date night or something like that."

"That sounds lovely," Lucius replied.

"Does Jori have to come over that early as well?" Narcissa hesitantly asked. "Of course, it's entirely up to you, but we've had her alone before…"

Hermione chewed on the inside of her cheek as she thought for a brief moment. "Well, I'm sure we could ask Jori to come over maybe before you and Lucius turn in for the evening? That way she's just here for the night in case you should need her?"

"Wonderful!" Narcissa exclaimed. "Lucius and I will make sure everything is ready for when you return."

* * *

><p>Jori went through everything Harper might need, speaking her list aloud in a way that Hermione would have done, much to Draco's amusement. He reminded her twice that she'd only be over there for one night, but this didn't seem to have much affect on Jori as she filled the diaper bag. Draco watched curiously, knowing full well that Hermione had placed an extendable charm on the bag. He wasn't sure if extendable charms had a limit in which it could extend an item, but if anyone could find its capacity, Draco was certain that Jori would find out at the rate she was going.<p>

"Are you comfortable spending the night at my parents'?" Draco asked as Jori tossed what was easily the third box of wipes into the bag.

Jori nodded. "Of course! Jori likes Misses Malfoy and Mister Malfoy! Jori even likes their elves! Very nice elves!"

He heard the whoosh of the floo downstairs and heard Hermione jogging up the stairs. Harper was playing in her crib, drooling as she gnawed on the head of her stuffed unicorn to her little heart's content. "So…" Hermione said, announcing her presence as she leaned against the doorframe, her arms against her chest. "Obviously - your parents are excited."

Draco looked over at her as he secretly removed things from the bag as Jori added them. "Obviously…"

"But they've requested that Jori not come over until it your parents turn in for the evening."

"And by 'they've' you mean Mother."

"Essentially," Hermione replied. "Your father asked if Jori was coming as if it was non-negotiable."

Sighing, Draco picked up the diaper bag and gave Jori a look as if to say that there really wasn't anything else necessary. "And you agreed to it?"

"I mean," Hermione began to speak. "I may have made the suggestion, because she was the one who looked put off at the idea of Jori being there the entire time. Like we don't trust her -"

"We don't," Draco stated with a snort. "I mean, not entirely. They've never watched her for more than a couple of hours."

"We _trust_ them," Hermione said with a look.

"Yes. For a couple of hours," Draco said, scratching the back of his neck.

"And if we take her over now, they'll have a couple of hours before she eats and goes to bed," Hermione reasoned.

Draco looked at his wife. "You're a lot more calm about this than I thought you would be."

"That's only because I'm reassuring myself silently in my head every five minutes," she replied with a half laugh.

"Jori?" Draco said, addressing the house elf.

"Yes, Master Draco?"

Sighing, Draco picked his daughter up from the crib as Harper continued to gnaw on the poor unicorn. "I don't care what my mother says once you arrive _promptly_ at seven o'clock - you are to stay there the entire night."

Nodding, Jori held the diaper bag and looked at Draco very seriously. "But Master Draco - what if Misses Malfoy insists that Jori leaves? Jori would not want to upset Misses Malfoy!"

Draco looked at Hermione, who shrugged. "You don't think she would, do you?" he asked.

"I don't…but I mean, again, she didn't look thrilled when Lucius asked if Jori was coming. I know he wants her there," Hermione replied.

"Jori knows!" the house elf explained. "If Misses Malfoy insists on Jori leaving then Jori will just pretend to leave but really, Jori will be invisible! What does Master Draco think of Jori's plan! This way Misses Malfoy thinks she's alone but Jori wouldn't have to leave Miss Harper alone!"

Draco shifted Harper to his other hip and took the diaper bag from Jori. "Works for me. What about you, Granger?"

"It's fine," Hermione said with a slight sigh. "Just take her over there before I change my mind."

Draco knew how she felt, and walked over to give Harper to Hermione for a moment. "Say, 'bye Mummy! See you tomorrow!" he said, trying to get Hermione to at least smile a bit as he used a silly voice.

She kissed Harper on the cheek and hugged her tight. "Mummy will miss you," she whispered in her ear. "Be good for Nana and Grandfather. Mummy loves you." Harper patted a hand on Hermione's nose, and her mother laughed. "Ok," she said with a bit of mustered confidence. "Really - take her because I seriously might change my mind."

Laughing, he took Harper and planted a firm kiss to Hermione's lips. "Why don't you go and take a bath and get ready for our date?" Draco suggested.

Hermione kissed him again, pressing a hand to his cheek. "Maybe I will."

As Draco disappeared to retrieve bottles from the fridge before heading to his parents', Hermione dismissed Jori and paddled her way across the hall to her bedroom. She shed her clothing as she made her way to the bathroom and with a wave of her hand; the faucets of the large bathtub began to run. Just for good measure, Hermione added an extra cup full of bubbles to the water. Yawning, she stretched her neck, rolling her head leisurely from one side to the other as she rolled her shoulders back a few times for good measure. The Pilates class and five-mile run she completed at the gym earlier that morning was catching up to her, but as she looked at herself in the mirror, she could tell it was paying off. The only evidence of her pregnancies was the faint pink stretch marks low on her stomach, marring her pale skin.

Stripping her knickers and bra, she reached for her wand on the kitchen sink and rounded up all of her dirty laundry, sending it straight to the hamper with a thud. Climbing in, she felt her body relax as she leaned her back against the porcelain tub, surrounded by jasmine scented bubbles. Closing her eyes, she took a moment to enjoy the peace and quiet, submerging herself a bit more so that she was soaking in the water from the neck down.

* * *

><p>Draco reviewed Harper's schedule a final time, despite the fact that he could see his mother was clearly ignoring him as she was on the floor with Harper, playing with some of the toys Jori packed. He looked at his father, who appeared to be listening, though that didn't really comfort him much. Scratching his face, he set the diaper bag on the ground and looked at Harper.<p>

"She'll be fine," Lucius insisted. "Hermione's still sending Jori, correct?"

Draco nodded. "I think it's best."

Narcissa looked up at her son and husband and scoffed. "Honesty - do you think we cannot handle our own granddaughter for one night?"

"Mother - when was the last time you had to get up with an infant?" Draco asked, doing his best to keep his tone even. "Better yet - how often did you get up with me? Because I remember a short elf levitating me out of my crib on more than one occasion, feeding me bottles and reading _Babbity Rabbity and the Cackling Stump_.

Narcissa pursed her lips together as she stared back at her son. "I'd like to think that I've changed just a bit, as has your father."

"Yes, and me allowing my daughter to spend the night is proof that I've acknowledged the change," Draco replied, suppressing a huff. "But she's still waking up in the middle of the night - she's cutting teeth so she's more fussy than usual - and she's my daughter. If I want you to have extra help that my daughter is familiar with, then that's what will happen."

Lucius stepped in between his son and his wife and raised a hand. "Now, now," he said, in his usual, demure tone. "Let's everyone calm down. Cissa - Draco has a point, and to be honest, I agree with him. Having Jori will not harm anything."

"But Lucius -"

"And maybe, if tonight goes well," Lucius continued, "Harper will be able to spend the night again, and as she gets comfortable and we become more familiar, Jori might not always have to come."

Draco looked at his father and gave him a short nod. "But probably not until she starts sleeping entirely through the night."

"Which makes perfect sense," Lucius replied. Looking at his wife, he waited for her to make another rebuttal. "So say good-bye to your son, Cissa, and we will see you and Hermione in the morning."

Narcissa looked at her son and dropped her defensive shoulders. "You and Hermione have fun this evening."

"We will," he replied. Squatting down, he picked up Harper and showered her face with kisses. "Don't let Mummy fool you," he whispered. "Because Daddy will miss you the most." Handing her back to Narcissa, Draco stood up and gave his father a handshake. "If you need anything -"

"We'll be fine," Lucius said. "Jori will know what to do."

"Right," Draco replied. With a final goodbye, he decided to disapparate from his parents' home and into his bedroom. Turning around, he saw his wife soaking in a tub, her eyes closed and her face relaxed. Quietly, he walked in and stopped short of the tub. Leaning over, he lightly touched her lips to his, and grinned as she responded.

"Hi," she whispered, her eyes still closed.

"Hi," he replied, dipping a finger into the water and could tell she'd been in for a bit as the water was lukewarm. He pulled his wand from his pocket and cast a reheating spell and heard her sigh contentedly.

"Took you long enough," she murmured.

"Just wanted to make sure they had everything under control," Draco replied. "If you're too tired we can always stay in," he suggested. "Order Chinese food, watch old movies like we used to…"

Hermione cracked an eye opened and gave him a look. "Oh no - I want a proper date, Draco Malfoy. If we're going to leave Harper overnight at your parents, we might as well make it worth our while. Besides - if we just sit here all night I'm going to wind up going over and bringing her straight back."

Laughing, Draco nodded. "Fair point."

Sitting up in the bath, Hermione drew her knees to her chest and looked up at Draco. "I miss her, which is silly, because she's only with your parents, but I miss her."

"It's not silly," he reassured her. "I miss her too." He walked over to the closet and pulled out a large bath sheet and returned to his wife, holding the towel out to her. She stood up, pulling the drain in the tub with her toes and held open her arms as Draco wrapped her up and plucked her out of the tub. "What are you wearing tonight?" he asked with a playful smirk.

"I haven't entirely decided yet," she replied, shaking her head slighting at his suggestive stare. "Any suggestions?"

"Uncomplicated," he replied with a grin. "I don't want too much effort wasted undressing you when we get home."

Hermione laughed as she walked past her husband and into her side of the walk in closet. "You realize my breasts are still off limits, right?" she called out to him as she rummaged through her hanging clothes.

"Yes - though I assure you I'm looking forward to the day when they become mine again," he replied, walking into his side of the closet for a change of clothes. He pulled down a pair of black slacks and a crisp white shirt. "Do you want me to wear a tie?" he asked.

Hermione looked across the way at him. She pulled a ruby red, form fitting dress with capped sleeves and a skirt that fell just before her knees and held it out for him to see. "I'm wearing this," she replied. "So you better take me somewhere that warrants an outfit as fabulous as this."

Draco laughed. "A tie it is, then." He pulled a black tie from his drawer and set his clothes out on top of the dresser. "You want to try that new place, Le Gavroche, on the other side of the park? It's nice out - so we could even walk."

Hermione threw her dress on over her head, moving her bra straps slightly as she stared in the mirror to make sure they were hidden. Draco could say he was ready for her breasts to be his, but Hermione was ready to be hers again as well. She wasn't sure if they'd ever shrink back to the size they used to be, but she still wasn't able to wear a strapless bra comfortably. Shimmying a bit as she pulled her dress down, Hermione stared at herself in the mirror from the front and then on the side. She definitely had her flat stomach back, but Hermione couldn't remember the last time she wore something so form fitting. Unsure, she stared at herself for a few more moments before turning to her husband, who had his back to her as he pulled his black trousers on, tucking his white shirt in along the way.

"Ok, so I might change my mind about the dress," Hermione said, a hand on her hip.

Draco turned around as he slipped his belt through the belt loops. He went to say something, but stopped.

"What? It looks horrible, doesn't it." she stated instead of questioning.

He quickly shook his head no. "You…you look stunning, Hermione. Seriously."

She turned and looked at herself in the mirror again, tucking her hair back behind her ears. It was getting long, and she was having another one of her moments where she couldn't decide if she wanted it long again or to hack it all off. "Are you sure?"

"I swear, Granger, if you weren't so hell bent on going on an actual date I would rip the dress off of you right now," Draco said, sincere as he could be.

Blushing, Hermione rolled her eyes as she played off his compliment and retrieved a cute pair of black heels from her shoe collection. "Well, please remember that this dress just pulls up and over my head. It's couture, and I'd be rather upset if you ripped it off of me."

"I'd get you another one," he offered, taking a few steps towards her.

"You can't - I bought it two summers ago," Hermione said, stepping into her shoes.

Draco's tie hung untied around his neck as he popped his cufflinks into the cuffs of his shirtsleeves. "I guess we'll have to figure something out then," he teased.

"It's already figured out," Hermione replied, grabbing his tie as she began to knot in a Windsor. "You won't be ripping it off."

"Well, I might need a reminder later."

* * *

><p>Narcissa sat and rocked Harper, who was fussing a bit as she tried to gnaw on her grandmother's shoulder. She'd already given her a teething potion that Draco brought over, but it had yet to take affect on Harper. She was, however, calming down a bit in the rocker, and Narcissa enjoyed the one on one time with Harper as she gently rubbed her back. She heard footsteps walking down the hall. Looking up, she saw Lucius standing in the doorway.<p>

"Jori is here, and I showed her to where our elves are," he informed her.

Narcissa sighed, hugging her granddaughter a bit closer as her whimpers died down. "You realize he insinuated that we were horrible parents, right?"

Lucius looked at his wife, not wanting to engage in an argument he knew he couldn't win. "Cissa, I don't -"

"We weren't horrible parents," Narcissa stated. "We could have done better, mind you, but we weren't horrible."

"Cissa -"

"He practically insinuated that we let Dobby raise him from birth!" she hissed.

Lucius gave his wife a look and sighed. "Didn't we though?"

* * *

><p>Sitting at a table for two in the dimly lit restaurant, Draco peered over his menu and watched as Granger looked at her menu, opened flat on the table while she discretely used a finger to magically stir the sugar in her tea as she surveyed her options. She looked gorgeous this evening, and while he wasn't wild about how the man who seated them openly gawked at his wife, he was thankful for the lighting so that his wife's wardrobe couldn't attract anymore 'unwanted' attention.<p>

"How often do you use wandless magic?" he quietly asked as he watched her cease in stirring.

Shrugging, Hermione picked up her glass and took a sip. "I don't know, often, I guess. I mean, you do it too."

"Yes, but only for a few select tasks," he replied. "I can only do a few things. How many things can you do?"

"Um…most things?" she replied. "I don't know...I don't exactly keep track."

He looked slightly jealous. "How long?"

"I uh, guess since sixth year," she replied. "I just never really used it until I moved, and then back. Any time I did wandless magic at school, Ron would roll his eyes and call me a show off. Which I guess I was doing, at times."

Draco continued to stare. "You do realize how powerful of a witch you have to be to do as much wandless magic as you do, right?"

It was Hermione's turn to laugh as their salads appeared. The waiter left as quickly as he appeared, and she picked up her fork while locking eyes with her husband. "Scared?" she teased.

"A bit," he honestly replied as he began to eat his salad.

When their main courses arrived - lobster for Draco and a roasted lamb dish for Hermione, the two enjoyed their dinner, making small talk with one another about anything. Hermione reminded Draco of Harper's healer appointment next week knowing that he would want to attend, and Draco mentioned Ginny's upcoming quidditch match that Harry asked them to attend.

"If tonight goes well, maybe they can keep Harper and we can make a little trip of it," Draco suggested.

Hermione nodded as she cut her meat into small pieces. "I'm sure we could look into it."

"Speaking of looking," Draco said. "You know how Harry and Ginny have been looking to buy a house in a nice, muggle London neighborhood?"

"Yes," she replied. "Which I think is brilliant - I know Grimmauld place was Sirius', but Harry has never really liked living there and I still think their kids _and_ ours should learn how to survive in both worlds."

"Well, Ginny finally bought into the idea," Draco replied. "And well, I was wondering what you thought about…you know…moving."

Hermione's eyes went wide as she swallowed her food. "Moving? From your house?"

"See - you still think it's my house, even though it's ours," Draco pointed out. "But if we bought a house together - something we looked at and decided on together, it would be 'ours'. I don't know…I've just been thinking about it a lot lately."

"Obviously," Hermione remarked.

"So…what do you think?"

"About buying a house?"

"Well…yes."

Hermione dropped her shoulders as she looked at her husband. "I don't know, to be honest. I really like where we are…it has plenty of room…"

Draco picked up his glass of wine and took a sip. "I'm not looking for a yes or no answer right now," he quickly added. "I just want you to think about it. Please?"

Nodding, Hermione gave him a smile. "Of course. I just…I'm a bit curious as to why you would want to live in a muggle neighborhood."

Shrugging, Draco stabbed a piece of lobster meat onto his fork and dipped it into some butter before popping into his mouth. "I guess just hearing Harry talk about it, and how much he liked it as a child despite his horrendous caretakers, and how he always liked coming to your house and the neighborhood you grew up in, I don't know. I liked the way it sounded. Getting to know neighbors, having a real neighborhood where there are children for Harper and her future siblings to make friends with outside of school so they aren't as isolated once they start going to Hogwarts…it sounds like it would be a life you and I could be comfortable with."

Hermione thought about the picture he painted and smiled. She, like Harry, enjoyed growing up in a neighborhood where everyone knew everyone. Of course, she didn't have many friends in her neighborhood as the children were either much older or much younger than her, but was comfortable, safe, and Hermione wouldn't have changed where she was raised for anything.

"I guess we could look into it," she offered.

Draco watched as she put her fork down and began to play with her napkin. "We don't have to," he offered. "It was just something I thought we could talk about."

She looked up at him and smiled. "We can still look, Draco."

"But you don't seem all that enthusiastic about it."

"I am," she offered, a bit weakly.

"What is it?" he asked, reaching across the table for her hand.

Placing her hand in his, she bit her lips together and shook her head slightly. "It's nothing, sweetheart," she replied. "Maybe we can look through some ads in the Sunday paper."

Draco gave her hand a squeeze. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't want this if you don't want this."

Smiling, Hermione's eyes met his. "I'm not saying I'm one hundred percent convinced, but looking never hurt, right?"

* * *

><p>Lucius looked at his wife as she sat in a chair outside of the nursery room Narcissa put together in their house after Harper was born. "Draco says she won't wake until three or four in the morning,"<p>

Narcissa looked straight ahead, not even bothering to acknowledge her husband.

"Cissa, if this is about earlier -"

"You don't get to judge me and or my parenting," she snapped with a hiss. "Especially since you weren't exactly an involved party."

Lucius sighed as he leaned against the hallway wall, opposite his wife. "I wasn't saying I was."

"Neither you nor my own son think I can take care of my own granddaughter. It's insulting that he feels like he has to send Jori to care for her in the night."

"I honestly believe that was more for him and Hermione's piece of mind," Lucius replied, his voice never wavering from his usual tone. When she said nothing in return, Lucius continued to stare at his wife. "So you're going to just sit outside of our granddaughter's door all evening?"

"Yes."

"Cissa, come to bed."

"Lucius I really don't think -"

"Cissa," Lucius said again. "You weren't a bad mother. You raised Draco the same way you and I were both raised - with help. It doesn't make you a bad parent, and Draco did not send the elf here as a way of subconsciously expressing that he didn't think you could take care of his daughter properly. He is just…aware of your ways. So would you please come to bed? If you hear Harper crying in the middle of the night and you wish for help, Jori will help. If you hear her in the middle of the night and you want to tend to her - then it is your choice."

Narcissa sighed as she reluctantly stood from her chair. "I'm not going because you're telling me to. I'm going because sitting up all night would be extremely uncomfortable."

"Of course, Cissa."

"And if I was uncomfortable and unrested then I would _have_ to have Jori help," Narcissa continued. "Which, might I add, I don't believe I will need."

Saying nothing, Lucius could do nothing but shake his head while his wife marched towards their bedroom in front of him.

* * *

><p>Walking through their front door, Hermione yawned, quickly pressing the back of her hand to her mouth as she dropped her clutch on the small table. Draco locked the door behind him and quickly wrapped his arms around her from behind, leaving soft, warm kisses from behind her ear and down her neck.<p>

"You're not allowed to be tired," he whispered in her ear with a nibble to her earlobe.

She laughed, spinning around in his arms as she wrapped her own around his neck. "I'm not," she promised. "I just have to take care of a few things and I'm all yours."

"Define 'a few things,' Granger."

"Well, unless you want breast milk to leak all over you -"

"Merlin woman! Go - go - go!" he exclaimed, practically shoving her out of his grasp.

"I'm just saying…"

"If you keep talking it's going to ruin a certain number of things for me forever."

Laughing, Hermione shoved him towards the direction of the steps. "You go - I'll be up in a moment."

She watched as Draco yanked at his tie for a moment before disappearing to the kitchen. With an empty bottle, she walked into the downstairs bathroom and with a bit of magic, made short work of pumping her breasts as they were beginning to get a bit heavy and sore. Knowing she would have do this upon coming home, Hermione already had on her sexy lingerie underneath her dress so that she wouldn't have to waste any time. She didn't take much stock out of how much magic she could perform without her wand until her husband pointed it out this evening, but Hermione also had to admit some sort of satisfaction in hearing Draco admit that he was impressed. Placing the bottle in the fridge to use sometime tomorrow, Hermione jogged up the back steps and stopped at the landing.

Shimming out of her dress, she fixed her black lace knickers a bit right around the cheek area and moved her breasts a bit within the cups of her matching bra. Just because he couldn't touch them didn't mean Draco couldn't enjoy them from a distance. Holding her dress in one hand, she sauntered down the hall in her heels and opened the door, only instead of finding her husband with his usual smirk, she found her husband, who'd only managed to peel off his necktie and shirt, dozing on the bed.

"Honestly, Draco," she said with a playful sigh, dropping her dress onto the back of the chair near the door as she stared at her husband with a hand on her hip.

He sat up slightly and cracked an eye open, which was followed by a smirk. "Well…hello."

"I do believe you said that I wasn't allowed to be tired," she remarked, her hands on her hips. "Yet you're the one sleeping."

"I wasn't sleeping," he said, standing up to his feet as he undid his belt while walking towards her. "I was resting my eyes."

"It looked an awful lot like sleeping to me," Hermione noted with a raised eyebrow. Once he was within an arms reach, Hermione grabbed him by his belt loops and pulled herself close to him. "But if you're too tired…" she whispered as she slid a hand down his pants.

Draco didn't bother holding back a moan as he felt her hand wrap around him. "Does it feel like I'm tired, Granger?"

Her free hand popped the button and unzipped his pants as they dropped to the floor. "I'm not sure," she teased.

Stepping out of his pants, he swept his wife up off her feet and carried her to the bed. "Don't you drop me," she warned as she let her heels fall from her feet to the floor with a thud.

Draco laughed. "One time - and I even meant to, Granger. It was supposed to be _fun_."

"It wasn't _fun_ at all, Draco, and I'll mean to never have sex with you _ever_ if you drop me."

Letting her hover over the bed securely in his arms, he gave her a playful look, which was returned with a slight glare. "Come on, Granger - where's your sense of adventure?"

"Dropping me isn't adventure," she replied, tightening the hold she had around his neck with her arms. "Besides - any adventure I had in me that wasn't drained by the war was used up when I said 'yes' to marrying you."

Draco carefully set her down on the bed and peeled his boxers away before crawling on top of her, his hands caressing her sides as he kissed his way up from her naval to her lips. "Best day of my life, you know," he whispered before kissing her neck. "You saying yes."

Hermione tilted her head back and sighed as she felt his hands pull at the sides of her lace knickers. "I figured the birth of your daughter would have been your best day."

He hovered over her, his forehead pressed against hers as she subtly kicked her knickers away that Draco had pulled down her legs. "Everything after the day you said 'yes,' Hermione, was and remains, icing on the cake," he stated. "Everything amazing and wonderful I have in my life…I have because of you."

She felt herself tearing up, cursing her often over emotional self. Suddenly, she heard herself talk before she could rein it in. "I don't want to move."

"What?"

Sniffling, Hermione looked up and away as she blinked her tears away. "I'm sorry…I just…this house is perfectly fine. More than enough room than we will ever need, and I don't…"

He brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "Hermione," he whispered. "Hermione it's ok. I never would have brought it up if I thought it would have made you upset…"

Looking back at him, she laughed a little bit as she tried to reign in her emotions. "I didn't realize I'd be upset at the thought until you mentioned it. I just…it's going to sound completely silly. Mental even."

"What?" he asked.

Sighing, she wrapped a leg around his waist and clasped her hands against the back of his neck. "We fell in love in this house, Draco."

He slid a hand down between her legs and ran two fingers between her wet folds as he kissed her neck. "It's not mental," he replied as his thumb found her overly sensitive spot. "And when you put it that way…" he grabbed onto his erection and ran it between her folds a few times before stopping at her entrance. "I don't want to move either."

Hermione gasped a little bit as he slid into her before she found his lips with hers. "Promise?" she asked as she pulled away.

Slowly, Draco began to thrust into her as his lips caught hers again. He pulled away as his hips picked up some speed, hugging Hermione close as he pulled the two of them upright. She wrapped her other leg around his waist as Hermione sat in his lap, hugging him tight as the two rocked back and forth into each other. "Promise," he whispered as he snuck a hand around her back and unclasped her bra.

"Draco…" she warned as she felt him pitch himself deeper.

"I'm not going to touch them - at least not with my hands," he promised as he discarded the bra to the floor. Pressing her chest against his, he continued his movements as his fingers massaged into her back as he kept his rhythm. It was the first time since they started having sex again that she'd forgone the tank top, and he was determined to enjoy as much of her as he was allowed. Burying his face into her neck, he kissed her in the same spot repeatedly as his thrusts began became more jagged. "Granger," he whispered in her ear.

Hermione didn't expect to feel as turned on as she did, her nipples hardening amid the friction from their touching skin. As she rotated her hips with her thrusts, she cried out as soon as she came, holding Draco tight as he reached his orgasm moments later. Still connected, Draco moved his head and looked at his wife as he raked a hand through her hair on one side of her face. "We did fall in love in this house, didn't we?"

She leaned in and kissed him softly, letting her lips linger for a moment before releasing a content sigh. "I'm not saying we have to be here forever," Hermione spoke softly as she leaned into his touch. "I'm just not ready to let it go."

* * *

><p>Like clockwork, Lucius glanced at the clock next to his bed as he heard Harper whimpering down the hall. Rolling over slightly, he noticed his wife sound asleep just as she was when Draco was a baby. He admitted outright he was a terrible husband and a horrible father, but what he failed to point out earlier during their squabble was that Lucius woke up when he heard his son cry during the night, and more than often shooed Dobby away quite dismissively so that he could have some uninterrupted time with his son when he was an infant. There was no point in telling his wife his secret, considering that it would hardly make up for the mountain of terrible things he'd done, or the awful position he put his family in time and time again. He always knew he loved his family - he just never had a proper way of showing it.<p>

The door to their bedroom, already cracked, squeaked as it opened a bit wider. Jori popped her head into the room and caught Lucius' eye. Lucius held a finger up to his lips and motioned for Jori to open the door a bit wider. Taking his wand from his nightstand, he magnified the sound of Harper's cries to the point where his wife stirred. Lucius returned to his sleeping position soon as Narcissa sat up, awake and alert, and Jori stood outside in the hallway, holding an already warm bottle for the baby.

Narcissa looked over at her sleeping husband before carefully climbing out of bed so that she wouldn't disturb him. Reaching for her robe, she draped the thin fabric around her shoulders and slid her arms through the sleeves as she retreated to the dimly lit hallway.

"Jori made this for Misses Malfoy," Jori said as she made eye contact with the older witch.

Smiling, Narcissa gave the elf a gentle pat as she took the bottle. "Thank you, Jori."

"If Misses Malfoy needs anything else, all Misses Malfoy needs to do is call for Jori."

"Of course," Narcissa replied. Disappearing into the nursery down the hall, Narcissa walked over to the crib and saw her granddaughter crying as she shook her little balled up fists. "Shh," she cooed as she picked up her granddaughter. "Nana's here. Nana will take good care of you." Settling Harper in the crook of her arm, she popped the nipple of the bottle into her mouth and smiled, as the bottle seemed to quell her cries. Moving over to the rocking chair she'd had ever since Draco was a baby, Narcissa sat down and held the bottle at an angle as Harper stared back at her. "See," she said with a smile. "You're just fine with Nana, aren't you?"

With a good burp halfway through, Harper finished her bottle just as her little eyelids began to droop. Once she was finished, Narcissa placed the bottle on the small table next to the rocking chair and moved Harper so that she was snuggled up against her chest. With a wave of her hand, Harper's blanket floated out of her crib and Narcissa grabbed it and draped it across her granddaughter's back. It wasn't long before both Narcissa and Harper were sound asleep in the chair, which was exactly how Lucius found them when he woke up on his own three hours later.

* * *

><p>In an unusual reversal of roles, Draco found himself wrapped in Hermione's arms, clad in his dress shirt from the night before, wrapped around him with a leg locked around one of his. One of her hands was open, pressed against his chest right over his heart, and he could feel her shallow breaths against his back. Pressing a hand against hers, he gently lifted her arm and rolled onto his back as she stirred in her sleep, moving her head so that it was now resting on top of his chest. He glanced at the clock on his nightstand and saw that it was a quarter 'til ten. Not even remembering the last time he slept past six in the morning, he felt Hermione nuzzle against him.<p>

"Hi," she mumbled.

"Hi," he replied, pulling the covers up over them a bit more. "Did you sleep well?"

She nodded, not bothering to look up. "I got up a few hours ago though and came back to bed. I cannot wait to be done breastfeeding."

Laughing, Draco played with the hair on the nape of her neck. "No one's forcing you."

"It's better for the baby," she replied with a yawn. "Besides, I figure I have a few more months of it in me before I literally cannot take it any longer."

He tugged at his shirtsleeve on Hermione with his free arm. "Interesting attire, Granger."

Snuggling into his embrace, she let out a yawn. "I slid into it when I got up earlier."

"Well you can stay in it for all I care," he replied with a smirk. "Especially if you are sans knickers on underneath."

"The knickers went back on as well," she said with a laugh. Looking at him, she propped her chin up on her hand that rested on his chest. "So…I'm sorry I got all emotional about you wanting to buy a house."

Draco shrugged as the arm that was wrapped around her was finding its way up the shirt as his fingers dragged against her soft skin. "Granger, you wouldn't be you if you weren't emotional about something," he teased. "But you had a point."

Her eyes were narrowed, ready to snap into him about teasing her until she heard the last bit of his remark. "I had a point?"

"You did," he repeated, as his eyes danced around the room. "As much as I like the idea of moving…I don't really think I'm ready to give this place up yet either." She pinched a bit of skin on his stomach, smirking as he yelped. "Bloody hell, Granger!"

Sitting up on her knees, she rolled her eyes as he rubbed the offended skin. "Please. I could have pinched harder. Besides - that's what you get for mocking your wife because admit it - when you started thinking about it, you got just as emotional as I did."

"I'm not sure anyone is as emotional as you," he replied, braving the repercussion, which was a playful swat in the gut. "But yes, I did have feelings about this house I wasn't aware I had until you brought up its sentimental value. Now if you would be so kind as to quit bruising the father of your children, I was thinking that we could partake in a shower…together."

She pretended to think about his suggestion, before pulling on his hands with hers. "I'm sure we could partake in said activity." Climbing out of bed first once he sat up, Draco reached for Hermione's arm and caught her off guard, throwing her over his shoulder, laughing as she screamed. "Draco Lucius Malfoy you put me down this instant!"

With a firm grip on his wife, he carried her into the bathroom as she attempted to flail about and stuck his arm into the shower, turning the water on. Carefully setting her down, he grabbed her cheeks with the palms of his hands and kissed her soundly. "You're cute when you get all feisty," he teased while removing his shirt from her body.

"You're a prat, Draco Malfoy," she said with a roll of her eyes while stepping out of her knickers. "Honestly."

"Don't act like you didn't know what you were getting into when you married me," he teased as he shed his boxers.

Laughing, Hermione walked through the glass shower door as her husband held it open. "Trust me - I was well aware of what I was getting into."

Draco followed in behind her and shut the door, the glass walls already beginning to steam. "Oh really?"

"Yes," she replied, pulling him under the stream of water currently dousing her from head to toe. "Lucky for you, I wouldn't change it."

He pushed her wet hair back away from her forehead and bent down, stealing a kiss as he felt his wife arms wrap around his neck, deepening the kiss. "I guess I'm quite the lucky bloke," he stated, panting a bit as they broke apart.

"That you are," she replied with a smirk before kissing him once more.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Here it is...Chapter 7 :D I know some of you might be disappointed with how BAL is going, and I know it isn't as climatic as IAU or SMWILF is, but it will get there. Once I get past the first birthday, I'm going to start jumping a bit in time, but it won't be choppy I promise, and I think with the time jumping the story will get to be a bit more exciting. But if you aren't interested in this story it won't hurt my feelings if you unalert it. Promise :D**_

**_Also - IAU was nominated (whoever nominated me - thanks!) for several categories in the HP Fanfic Fan Poll Awards! I'm super excited about this, like, embarrassingly excited about it and thought I would share. If you google HP Fanfic Fan Poll Awards, you'll find the LiveJournal page for it (I'd paste the link but this site just botches them up) you can see all of the nominees and read some great stories you might have missed. I know I have :D_**

* * *

><p>Harry sat up in bed a bit, stretching his arms up over his head while his wife rolled over onto her stomach, hugging her pillow to her chest as she yawned. "He's going to be in here any minute," she mumbled. "Jumping on the bed…shrieking like a banshee…"<p>

"Which is why I'm sitting up," Harry replied with a yawn. "Last time, I nearly lost a testicle. This time, I'm prepared." Ginny muffled her laugh with her pillow, though Harry could see her shaking. Playfully smacking her bum, he leaned over and brushed her hair away from her neck, kissing the soft skin of her neck. "You won't think it's so funny when we want to try again in a few years for another one."

Moving her head just a bit, she looked up at him and smirked. "I think you only need one to get the job done, though I must admit it'd probably look a bit awkward down there."

"You're awful!" Harry exclaimed, straddling his wife as she rolled onto her back. "A terrible, awful witch!"

Stripping his boxers down his legs, Ginny grinned as she felt Harry hike up the hem of an old Gryffindor shirt that she swiped from him before he left to hunt for horcruxes. "If by terrible and awful you mean _incredibly_ sexy…"

"…and not wearing any knickers," Harry whispered in her ear, grabbing her waist and lifting her hips.

"You better make this quick, Potter," Ginny gasped as she felt him tease her slightly, barely pushing the tip of his erection into her. "Because any minute -"

Their bedroom door swung open with a loud thud and Harry let out a frustrated groan as he immediately collapsed on top of his wife. "Mum! Teddy's going to be here any minute! We have _got_ to get ready!" James exclaimed as he stood in the doorway with his brother, each of them with an identical case of bedhead.

"Teddy!" Albus chimed in for good measure, a toy dragon in each hand.

"What's Daddy doing?"

Ginny glanced over at the clock on the wall, pinching her husband's side under the covers as he continued to groan into the pillow next to her head. "He's…hugging Mummy. He misses me…since I have to practice all the time now for quidditch."

"He sure sounds angry," James said, unsure if his mother was telling the truth.

"Well, we both know Daddy isn't a morning person," Ginny replied. "You have about thirty minutes until Teddy arrives. Why don't you and Albus go and turn the living room into a fort. Use every blanket in the house."

James eyes grew wide. "_Every_ blanket? But you said we can't make big forts because it's too hard to move around the room and last time we broke things."

"Well, with Teddy here," Ginny said, discretely placing a hand on Harry's erection as she gently pumped her hand back and forth. "It's going to need to be a bit…bigger. So off you go - you'll want it to be ready when he arrives, won't you? Just be extra careful."

She didn't need to say much more. "Come on, Al!" James exclaimed, slamming the door shut behind them.

As soon as Harry heard footsteps headed downstairs, he looked up at his wife, who wrapped her arms around his middle, thrusting herself onto him as he moaned. "You have about ten minutes until James comes back up here and asks me if it's been thirty minutes. You better make it good."

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Ginny was showered and dressed in a pair of jeans and a tank top, while Harry was still in bed, flat on his back with a pillow over his face. Shaking her head, she fastened her long red locks up into a ponytail before smacking his foot. "Get up," she said. "Teddy will be here soon and he's going to want your undivided attention, along with your other two children. I can explain to James why you're on top of me, but I will not be able to explain to him about why you aren't wearing anything but a shirt."<p>

Harry moved the pillow from his face and looked up at his wife. "What do you think about Teddy moving in with us," he blurted.

"Excuse me?"

"Teddy. Moving in with us. Permanently."

Ginny shoved her hands into her pockets, her elbows bent slightly as she looked at Harry. "You're finally serious about this?"

"Well…I mean, yeah, I guess," Harry said as he searched under the covers for his boxer shorts. Looking back up at Ginny, he was met with a clean pair hitting him in the face. "Thanks," he said with a grin, slipping into them as he climbed off the bed. "And what do you mean, finally serious about this?"

"I said he should have lived with us from the very beginning," Ginny pointed out. "Right after we were married, I said, 'we should talk to Andromeda about taking Teddy in and you said no."

"She'd just lost her daughter and her son-in-law, Gin. I wasn't about to ask if I could take away her grandson."

"What about the year after that?" Ginny asked. "Or the next year. And the year after?"

Harry walked over to his chest of drawers and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of jeans, forgoing the shower until later. "I didn't think it was fair to you - I was always gone, you already had James who was, and still is a handful…"

"I could have handled it," Ginny said.

"I didn't say you couldn't," Harry replied, buttoning up his jeans. He walked over to his wife and kissed her sweetly on the lips. "You're one of the most capable, brilliant women I have ever met. I just didn't want to have one more thing to worry during those training years to be honest…you and James were enough. It was selfish, but we're all in a different place now…and with me home while you're off doing your thing, I don't know - it just feels right."

"Is this where all of your 'let's buy a house in a neighborhood' nonsense is coming from?"

"A bit," Harry confessed. "Does that make you change your mind back to not wanting to move?"

Ginny mussed his thick black head of hair a bit with her hand and smiled. "Not particularly."

Harry looked at his wife, his eyes glancing right above his round rimmed glasses. "You're certain?"

"Certain," Ginny promised. "As long as Andromeda is good with it, you know I am completely on board with having Teddy move in with us. I love him just as much as you do, Harry."

"I think she might be ready," Harry said, discarding his shirt for the clean one. "After all, he's eight, and I know he can be just as exhausting as James some days. If we can give her an opportunity to relax a bit and just be a grandmother, you know, I think she deserves that. Especially after everything Remus and Tonks…"

She watched as he looked away, rubbing the knuckle of his thumb against his lower lip. Closing the space between them, Ginny gently placed a hand on his far cheek as she moved his face to meet hers. "You don't have to explain," she said softly.

With a tender kiss on the lips, Harry pressed his forehead to hers and exhaled the emotions he was feeling away. "I hate that I still feel this way."

"I know," Ginny replied, her thumb grazing his cheekbone. As the joyful sounds of screams echoed through Grimmauld Place, the two of them giggled silently as their arms slipped around each other as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Three boys," she mumbled into his ear.

"Three boys," he repeated, kissing her temple.

As they walked down the stairs hand in hand, they followed the laughter into the living room, which had three boys peeking their heads out of an opening amongst all of the blankets draped over various pieces of furniture held in place with heavy heirlooms plucked from random rooms of the house. Some of those heirlooms had been saved by a _reparo_ spell on more than one occasion, especially when Teddy came to visit.

"Dad!" Teddy exclaimed with an excited wave.

"Teddy!" Harry exclaimed with the same amount of enthusiasm. "You have blue hair today!"

"It's my favorite color," Teddy replied.

James looked at his parents, jumping up and down. "Can I have blue hair? Please?"

"Can you close your eyes and make it turn blue on your own?" Ginny asked.

Closing his eyes, James scrunched his face as he tried his best to make his hair turn blue, but when he opened his eyes and looked at Teddy, all he got was a shake and a shrug. "No," James said with a heavy sigh.

"I guess that answers the question then," Ginny replied with a laugh.

Andromeda shook her head at the boys, smiling at the fun they were already having. She was a thin woman, much like her cousin Narcissa, sharing similar Black traits like the pointed nose and thin lips. Even tired, like she appeared to be now, Andromeda always had a welcoming appearance about her. Harry greeted her with a hug, which she early returned as the boys retreated back underneath the blanket fort, giggling as they began to plan all of the fun things they were going to do while he was here for the week.

* * *

><p>"You aren't ready."<p>

Narcissa sat on the bed, holding her brush as her long, grey hair was hanging over one shoulder. No one would ever guess as to how long Lucius's wife kept her hair, with all of the different twists she kept it pinned up with when out in public. "I don't I'll be going…I'm not feeling all that well."

Lucius walked over and took a seat next to his wife. "Andromeda is only in town for the day. And if I'm not mistaken, I believe you played that card the last time she was in town."

"I don't wish to see her," Narcissa said, her voice flat.

"Cissa, this is ridiculous," Lucius said bluntly as he removed the hairbrush from her hands. "If I can welcome Hermione Granger into this family and learn to…adapt and care for her and the irritating muggle quirks of hers that she brings to the table, then certainly you and Andromeda can mend this rift. She asks to see you every time she brings the boy to the Potter's house and every time you refuse."

Narcissa stood up from her bed and began to pace around the room. "I haven't talked to her in just years, Lucius. It's been decades! And don't speak of your daughter-in-law that way."

"In what way?"

"And all of her _irritating quirks_," she echoed. "She isn't irritating. She loves our son, and even the two of us, when anyone else in her shoes would have hated us for eternity. And while you're at it, don't say _adapt._ Just admit you love her and get it over with."

He thought about pointing out that she was ranting about how 'irritating' she found Hermione to be at one point during their first sleepover with Harper a month ago, but decided he would save that little bit of information for another argument, as there had been several successful sleepover since then. "All I'm saying, is that if someone like me can peacefully co-exist with Hermione and become quite _fond_ of her, then certainly you can mend things with your sister. Especially if she is willing to try."

Tightening the belt of her black silk robe, she looked at Lucius and shook her head. "We have nothing in common, Lucius. We never have and we never will."

Chuckling, Lucius stood up and walked over to the wardrobe, pulling her outfit he watched her select the night before and laying it out on the bed so that it wouldn't wrinkle. "I can think of at least one thing you both have in common."

"Oh really?" Narcissa said, tossing her hands onto her hips. "And what, might I ask, would that be?"

He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips before leaving the bedroom. "You're both grandmothers," he announced. "And you're both getting _dreadfully_ old."

"Lucius Malfoy!"

"You can bellow at me later!" he shouted from the hallway. " Get dressed before I send your son over here because we both know how pleasant _that _will be!"

* * *

><p>"What if she doesn't come?"<p>

"She's coming."

"She didn't come last time."

Draco looked at Harry as he stood in front of his grill, flipping hamburgers while the boys played tag in the yard. Hermione and Ginny sat with Harper on a blanket, watching as she excitedly waved her arms about every time the boys ran past. "She'll come," Draco said as he took a drink of his beer. "Because if she doesn't, I'll hold her granddaughter hostage."

Harry laughed as he shut the lid to the grill. "That's horrible, Draco."

"So is not speaking to your sister," Draco countered. "If my father can have a relationship with my wife, my mother can certainly fix her relationship with her sister."

With his beer in hand, Draco walked over to where Andromeda was sitting in a large Adirondack chair, drinking her lemonade as she watched the children from the comfortable September shade. Sitting in the empty chair next to her, he smiled at his aunt, having mended his relationship with her around the same time he and Harry became friends.

Andromeda motioned towards his daughter as she watched the boys in a bright pink dress and a matching headband, clapping and squealing as she remained entertained by the boys in front of her. "She's just beautiful, Draco."

"Funny, I happen to think the same thing," Draco replied with a grin.

"Hermione says you're still fretting over Harper's lack of hair - and you shouldn't. Your mother didn't have hair until she was at least a year, and neither did Bel -" Stopping herself, she took a drink and reached for Draco's hand. "She gets it from the Black of the family," Andromeda said.

Nodding, Draco leaned back in the chair and took a drink of his beer. "Mother is coming," he said. "Father said he would make sure of it."

"We will see," Andromeda replied, sipping her lemonade. "Hermione seems to be happy."

"She is," Draco said, watching as Hermione helped Harper 'stand' as she held onto Harper's tiny hands. "It was hard, Aunt Dromeda…I honestly didn't know what was going to happen after our son…but when they put Harper into Hermione's arms it was like my wife just came back in one single moment. Hermione said it that day, and she was right. Harper saved her…and maybe a little bit of me as well."

Andromeda looked over at Draco, reaching out as she touched his arm. "I know the feeling."

He felt like an insensitive git for a moment as he realized Andromeda knew better than anyone, what it felt like to lose a child despite Tonks being a young adult when she and Remus were killed during the Battle of Hogwarts. "Aunt Dromeda, I…"

"It's ok," Andromeda said, patting his arm while taking another sip of her lemonade. "Might I ask what your son's name would have been?"

"Uh…Hugo," Draco said as he cleared his throat a bit. "Hermione's father, his middle name was Hugo. I wasn't wild about the name, but it was slowly growing on me. We just didn't…when he was born, we hadn't made a final decision…and broaching the subject of giving him a name was just not in her realm of capabilities so we left it alone."

"It's never too late," Andromeda said. "You can always go down to the Ministry and have the records altered. When Nymphadora married Remus, she legally changed her name to Tonks Lupin, much to my great dismay. I don't know why she despised her name so."

Draco chuckled lightly as he watched Harper laugh at Teddy, who kept changing his hair color to the amusement of his daughter. "Well, I regrettably did not know Tonks all that well…but from what I've heard about her, she sounds a bit stubborn, and maybe genetic defect that we both share was the only reason she needed."

"Maybe so," Andromeda said with a laugh. "Not Teddy though. He's quite the opposite."

"Potter mentioned that he might become a permanent fixture around here," Draco casually mentioned as he held his beer bottle to his lips.

Nodding, Andromeda watched as Teddy carefully picked up Harper and nuzzled her nose with his. "He's happy with me, but the older he gets the harder he is to keep up with."

"Maybe he and James can wear each other out," Draco joked. "Because that kid doesn't stop. Ever. It's damn near exhausting to watch some days."

"It's the Weasley in him," Andromeda replied with a chuckle. "I don't know how Molly survived all of those sons. They were always busy, rowdy, laughing, and certainly keeping her and Arthur on their toes."

Draco nodded, watching the children as they played. He couldn't help but wonder what his son would have been doing if he was here. Probably toddling behind Albus as he would have been a little over a year old, wanting to play and keep up with the big boys just as much as Albus. Draco remembered every inch of his son's tiny features, and remembered thinking how much he looked like Hermione, despite being incredibly small in his hands. He most certainly had her button nose and ears. He wasn't sure he believed in Heaven, or an afterlife of sorts like his wife did, but when he thought about all of the people that were probably caring for his son - like Harry's parents, Hermione's parents, Remus and Tonks, and maybe even Fred given the fact that Hermione was loved by all the Weasley brothers in some fashion - it helped dull the pain in his heart on days when he thought of his son the most.

* * *

><p>The delighted squeals of Harper turned Hermione's direction towards the patio, where she found Lucius walking through the back door. The look on his face at the sight of his granddaughter was priceless every time, even more so now that she vocal about her excitement when Harper saw Lucius enter the room. Standing up from the blanket, Hermione scooped up her daughter and laughed as she waved her arms excitedly.<p>

"It would appear that someone is excited to see you," Hermione said as she approached Lucius, handing Harper over.

"Of course she is," Lucius replied, as if it was the only explanation for his granddaughter's joy. He looked over at Andromeda and gave her a nod of acknowledgment. They weren't exactly the best of friends, but they did hold conversations with each other, which was more than he could say for his wife. "She is inside."

"Really?" Andromeda and Draco chimed in unison.

"I told you I'd get her here and I did," Lucius replied, somewhat indignantly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Harper and I have important matters to discuss."

Hermione and Draco watched as Lucius carried their daughter over to a secluded spot in the shade, holding her carefully as he spoke with her. Harry continued to flip hamburgers on the grill, shutting the lid as they had a little bit more to go before they were finished. "He realizes she can't talk back, right?" Harry asked, pointing his spatula in their direction.

"Not yet anyway," Draco replied as he stood up from his chair. "Though I am certainly looking forward to the day that she can." Walking over to Hermione, he slid his arms around her waist and gave her a kiss. "Hi," he whispered, kissing her once more.

"Hi," Hermione giggled, giving his hair a thorough ruffle. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, of course. Why?"

"No reason," she said as he let her go. "I just saw you sitting over here…you looked like you were thinking pretty hard."

He shook his head. "It was nothing. I'm going to go and see if I can't force my mother to come out here."

"Good luck," she replied, standing on her toes to kiss him once more.

"Luck isn't necessary when force is involved," Draco replied with a laugh, chucking his empty beer bottle into the trashcan before he made his way inside.

* * *

><p>Ginny climbed down from the tree house after carrying Albus up there for Teddy and James, watching as they walked in and out and around the small wrap around deck Harry spent many hours creating with the help of Draco and Blaise. With a wave of her wand, she threw up a few protective enchantments, mostly for Albus' own safety, and walked back a bit and watched as the three boys played together. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned and smiled as Andromeda approached.<p>

The older woman linked arms with Ginny and laughed as Teddy eagerly waved to her from the tree house. "He's always happy when he's here," Andromeda said.

"We're always happy having him here," Ginny replied, keeping her eyes on Albus he followed the boys. "It means a lot to Harry and I that you trust us enough to let him live with us. We know how important he is to you."

Andromeda nodded, waving back to Teddy as he popped his head out again. "My daughter was quite fond of you when you were younger, and Remus…well, Harry was very special to him, as he is to a lot of people. I think this is what they would have wanted. Teddy deserves so much more than I can give him on my best days."

Ginny shook her head. "Teddy loves you. You've done a wonderful job with him."

"Yes, but he will thrive here, with brothers to play with and adventures to go on with you and Harry," Andromeda said with a sad smile. "Besides…I'm ready to be a grandmother who doesn't have to say no and can just dote upon him without worrying all the time."

Giggling, Ginny unlinked her arm from Andromeda and wrapped it around her shoulders, hugging her as they watched the boys look out of the telescope Harry mounted up there last year at Teddy's request. "I'm sure that could most likely be arranged," she said. "But we will still expect you to visit often."

"A request I believe I can make good on," Andromeda replied. "Are you ready to have three boys under the age of ten in your care full time?" she teased.

Ginny nodded, laughing as Teddy carefully picked Albus so he could see out of the telescope. "Yes, but I must tell you that I've made Harry promise to give me a daughter when we're ready to have another one."

"Dear, I'm not quite sure that's a promise he can keep," Andromeda said with a bit of hesitation.

"Yes, well, he likes to boast and brag about how he can do anything because he's 'The Chosen One,' so that's for him to sort out," Ginny replied with a smirk.

* * *

><p>Draco sat across from his mother in Harry and Ginny's kitchen as if the two were in a staring contest, neither of them daring to blink first. After ten minutes of shouting over each other, the two of them had retreated to sitting and staring like petulant children. At the sound of Harry shouting that the hamburgers were ready, Draco knew that there would be foot traffic in and out of the kitchen bringing the rest of the food outside at any moment.<p>

Standing from the table, he stared at his mother and shook his head. "Could you just explain to me just one small thing? Whatever you chose to do from here on out is entirely your business, but I want one explanation."

Narcissa eyed her son and cleared her through. "What explanation are you looking for?"

"The one where you justify having a relationship with me, for doing the _exact_ same thing your sister did."

"Draco I -"

"Don't say it's different, because it isn't," Draco replied. "You can't help who you fall in love with. It just doesn't work that way. You and Father did your best to make sure I wouldn't stray in the 'awful' ways of your sister and but at the end of the day, I wouldn't change any of it. Aunt Dromeda is an _amazing_ woman, and the more time I spend getting to know her the more sorry I feel for you. She doesn't even harbor any ill will towards you or Father - despite losing her own husband, daughter, and son-in-law in a fight that you were on the opposite side of. I'm not certain I could be the same."

Narcissa sighed, standing up from the table as she saw the doorknob on the back door turn. "Even if I wanted to make amends," she quickly said, "I don't even know where to start."

"I'm sure if you'd just put yourself in front of her, the rest would work itself out," Draco said, as the backdoor opened and Andromeda appeared.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, turning to head out before Draco's hand stopped her. "I was just coming in to get some things for Harry I didn't realize -"

"Stay," Draco said, looking over to his mother who looked almost petrified. "If you start talking," he whispered in his aunt's ear, "Mother will cave. I promise."

As he grabbed the stack of plates and hamburger buns from the counter top, Draco excused himself, leaving the two women alone in the same room for the first time in more than a decade, maybe even two. Narcissa wasn't sure of the exact amount of time that had passed since she last spoke to her sister, but she knew it was quite significant.

"Hello, Cissa," Andromeda spoke first, taking a step towards her sister.

"Andromeda," Narcissa replied, holding her hands together at her waist. "You look…well."

Andromeda let out a quiet laugh. "I look exhausted. It's ok if you say it. Though I suppose it's about to change now that Teddy is coming to live with Harry and Ginny."

Narcissa's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"We're going to tell him at the end of the week, but it's what's best for Teddy," Andromeda replied. "Your granddaughter…she reminds me of you when you were a baby in her looks. She's quite beautiful."

Nodding, Narcissa stayed in the same spot as Andromeda inched closer towards her. "Lucius is quite smitten with her. He says she looks like me as well."

"Cissa?"

"Yes?"

Andromeda closed the gap between the two of them, as they now stood just am arm's length apart from one another. "I just…wanted you to know that I miss you."

Feeling her lower lip quiver slightly, Narcissa furiously blinked her eyes a few times as she looked at her older sister, the only sister she had left. "I don't know…how you can forgive me," she heard herself whisper, hardly recognizing her own voice as she turned her gaze to the floor. "I've wanted to…I couldn't see…I don't deserve -"

Hugging her younger sister, Andromeda felt Narcissa's arms wrap around her as she smiled through the tears in her eyes. "You're my sister, Cissa - I forgave you a long time ago."

"But…why?" Narcissa asked, sniffling as she kept ahold of Andromeda.

"Because you're my sister," Andromeda said with a laugh, pulling away as she wiped her own tears away. "We should freshen up a bit before we go back outside."

"Absolutely," Narcissa said with a laugh as she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief she pulled from her pocket before tending to her sister. "I've been so foolish," she said, wiping her sister's tears as she kept her makeup in tact. "So foolish."

"It's alright," Andromeda said with a smile. "We have plenty of time to catch up."

Hugging each other once more, the sisters laughed as they pulled apart, linking arms as they made their way outside where everyone was gathering for lunch. As they walked out onto the porch, they saw the table as the children sat in their places, waiting patiently as plates were fixed for them. "I wish to sit next to my sister, if at all possible," Narcissa announced as all eyes turned to her and Andromeda.

Hermione beamed at her mother-in-law while Draco smiled, nodding as he motioned towards two empty seats near the end. "I'll sit next to Father," he offered.

"Perfect," Narcissa replied, eyeing her husband who was sitting with Harper, feeding her a bottle as he returned the look she was giving him. "Wipe that look of your face, Lucius. It doesn't suit you well."

"I happen to think it looks just fine," Draco said, sitting next to his father with the same look of satisfaction on his face.

"Everyone have a plate?" Harry asked, surveying the table.

"Yes, and I have yours right here," Ginny said, setting the plate at the empty space next to her.

"Can we eat now?" James asked.

"Yeah, can we eat now?" Teddy repeated.

"Dig in!" Harry announced, setting his cooking utensils down and walking over to his seat. Passing Teddy in the process, he leaned down next to him and stole a chip off of his plate, giving him a wink as Teddy laughed. "Welcome back, kiddo," he whispered in his ear as he ruffled his bright blue hair.

Teddy grinned at Harry, turning around as he gave him a hug. "Thanks, Dad."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Sometimes...work trumps writing fanfiction. Which sucks, right? Right. Either way, I hope this 8000+ word chapter makes up for the time you've all been patiently waiting, and I hope you're all enjoying some ridiculously fabulous weather like I am right now. It's going to be 64 degrees (Fahrenheit) in my state today, which is freakishly warm for this time of year. Of course, I'm fully anticipating February or March bitch slapping us with some snow and ice, but for now I'm going to enjoy the fact that my heat bill for January will be low :D**_

* * *

><p>For the fifth night in a row, Hermione found Draco asleep in his study, paperwork scattered about regarding his work at the Ministry. While she could applaud him for actually making it to the chaise this time, she couldn't help but be somewhat irritated. She wasn't a meddling wife, but she knew what was on his plate at the office and knew it wasn't anything worth working into the late hours of the night over. Nevertheless, this had been Draco's routine for the past few weeks. He'd come home, play with Harper, enjoy dinner, and retreat to his office to do some 'work.' She was only slightly annoyed at the fact she felt like she spent more time asleep with her husband than she did awake, but now that he wasn't even attempting to make it to bed, her annoyance was turning into pure irritation.<p>

"Draco, Draco wake up," Hermione said, giving his leg a thorough smack with her hand. "Draco!"

Startled, his eyes snapped open and found his wife, cinching the belt of her robe with a good yank as she glared at him. "Shit," he mumbled, realizing he'd fallen asleep again in his study. "Sorry, dear," Draco said, yawning as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "I was -"

"Working, yes," Hermione interjected. "Not that any of this looks important enough to push anyone to the brink of exhaustion, but clearly you seem to believe otherwise." Turning on her heel, she marched out of the room, not even waiting for him to make another excuse. Upon entering their bedroom, she promptly discarded her robe, draping it over the armchair near her nightstand and crawled into bed, making sure she was entirely on her side as he walked in several minutes later. "Don't even think about dropping your clothes on the floor," she warned.

Hearing her tone, Draco sighed as he looked at his shirt and pants already in a wad at his feet. He bent over, balling up the clothes with his hands and chucked it in the general direction of the hamper, though in the dark. If the clothes didn't make it in, he was going to blame it on the fact that it was nearly midnight, and their bedroom was dark. Pulling the bedding back, he climbed into bed, reaching for Hermione as she swatted his hands away.

"Come on," he groaned, overpowering her as he used both arms, wrapping them around her waist as he pulled her to the middle of the bed. "I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, his arms now trapping hers as he held them against her body. "Really, Hermione, I'm sorry."

"It's the fifth night this week," Hermione muttered. "You've been practically nonexistent lately."

He sighed, pressing his forehead into her back. "I know, and I'm sorry."

She wriggled her arms free of his grasp and sighed, slightly relaxing in his embrace. "I don't like it when you don't come to bed, Draco."

"I know," he whispered, kissing the exposed skin at her neck. "I'm sorry."

"You said that already," she flatly replied, hugging her arms to her chest. "I don't know where your head has been these past few weeks but feel free to relocate it."

Rubbing a soothing and up and down her bare arm, Draco placed a kiss on her shoulder through the thin white t-shirt of his she was wearing. He didn't want to tell her that their son had been on his mind, how he wanted to have a name officially added to the record of birth. Draco had made sure to shelter his emotions regarding his son from Hermione considering she was a mess - rightfully so, of course - and there were many moments where someone needed to be the voice of reason. Since Hermione had abandoned her post of being that voice for the time being, Draco stepped up, not because he wanted to but because he had to. One the few moments where he couldn't keep it in, he apparated to Blaise's apartment, who usually took care of him with a bottle of fire whiskey and a sobering charm before he returned home.

However, he'd been slowly concluding that if he was going to pull himself out of his funk, he was going to have to talk to his wife. Avoidance clearly wasn't the answer, especially if it was going to get him in trouble with his wife. Swallowing a groan, Draco drew a sharp breath, letting the overwhelming jasmine scent he'd come to associate with his wife ease the nerves before slowly exhaling. "I miss our son."

The moment she felt the arm still around her slack, she rolled over and stared at him, eyes wide as she bit her lips inward. She pressed a hand to his cheek before letting her fingers slide up past his ear, threading through his hair. "I miss him too," she whispered.

"It's bigger than that," he confessed. "It physically hurts, worse now than it ever did and I have this nagging need…because I can't stand…"

"What?" Hermione gently asked. "What can't you stand?"

Draco sniffed. "Nothing," he mumbled, not brave enough to broach the issue of a name. "I just can't stand that he's here. But if he was here, then we wouldn't have that gorgeous daughter of ours…or maybe we would have, a few years later or so. Not that we'll ever know. I hate that I cannot imagine my life without Harper Grace but I have to live my life without…"

"Shh," Hermione whispered. "Sweetheart why didn't you tell me? You should have told me."

"Because I have you back," he replied. "Harper fixed you and I just didn't want to take you back there."

"Just because she's here doesn't mean I don't miss him every day," Hermione said, blinking her own tears away. "I guess I found a better perspective of sorts…but you can talk about it to me. Honest. I won't…I won't be the way that I was."

Nodding, Draco snuggled up closer to Hermione as she rolled over; laying on her back as he buried his face into her neck. It didn't take long for Hermione to realize as she laid there, trying her best to sooth him that it was the first time their roles had been reversed when it came to the grief over their son. He was always comforting her, telling her it would be ok, that they'd find a way to get through it. He was always the understanding one, especially on her days where everything was wrong and nothing was right. Pulling the blankets up over them with a little bit of assistance of wandless magic, Hermione closed her eyes and let her husband cling to her, for as often as she'd done it to him, it was time for her to return the favor.

* * *

><p>"Just tell her."<p>

"Can't do it."

"That'll be 6 galleons."

Blaise looked over at the concession patron as Draco dug out his wallet. "Six galleons for this?" This of course was a large bucket of popcorn for the kids, drinks for Harry, Draco, Blaise, and Hermione, and a package of licorice wands for Blaise, but they were at a Hollyhead Harpies match, and concessions didn't come cheap. "Are the licorice wands laced with unicorn blood?"

Draco handed over the galleons to the unamused concession patron and thrust the licorice wands into Blaise's hands. "Ignore him," Draco said apologetically as he picked up the drink tray with one hand and the popcorn in the other.

"It's a valid question!" Blaise cried as they walked back towards their box seats. "I swear its robbery, some of the prices at these events."

"Yes, but when you have insurmountable wealth, it's a bit tacky to complain, eh?" Draco noted.

"Whatever. No one should have to pay an entire galleon for a package of licorice wands…even if they do have the Hollyhead Harpies emblem all over the box," Blaise groused as he ripped open the package. "And I still think you should tell her. Give Hermione a bit of credit - she's in a completely different place than she was."

Draco sighed as they weaved through the crowds of excited fans. "Exactly - she's in a different place - which is where I'd like to keep her."

"So it's ok for you to begin retreating to her former grounds of misery? That doesn't make much sense, mate."

"I just don't want it to upset her."

"But it's ok for you to be upset."

"Blaise -"

Stopping short of the entrance to their box, Blaise cut his friend off, standing in front of him as he took a vigorous bite of the licorice wand in hand. "You have two options, Draco. You can either be a man and just tell her that filing a piece of paper will bring you peace of mind, or you can be a pussy - wallowing in your own self-pity because you aren't man enough to ask for help because you think you'll find a way out on your own. My vote is the first option, because you've been attempting the later for the past few weeks now and you suck at it."

Flaring his nostrils slightly, he looked at Blaise, taking another chomp at the licorice wand in hand. "Why are we friends again?"

"Because you used to be a bigger asshole than I was, and I was the only one that could tolerate you."

"Right."

Jogging up the long flight of wooden stairs, the two of them found Teddy, James, and Albus running around, each with green Hollyhead Harpies shirts with POTTER printed on the back in bright yellow, with a number 6 underneath. Arthur and Molly sat up front of the box, Arthur holding Harper as he pointed out things behind her comprehension. Draco couldn't help but smile at the mesmerized look Harper had on her face as she tried to watch everything at once.

"Up up!" Albus shouted, running and colliding into Hermione as she sat next to Harry. Draco watched as Hermione scooped up the child, giving him a big hug as he took a break from the older brothers. Ignoring the ache in his heart as he watched Hermione play patty-cake with Albus, watching her grin as he 'rolled' his hands with gusto. "Yay!" he exclaimed as Hermione finished singing the song, clapping his hands together.

"Popcorn!" James shouted, stopping in his tracks as everyone turned back to look. "Did you ask for extra butter?"

"Yes," Draco replied. "Watched the man do it myself."

"And he shook it all around so it's just not on the top?"

"Yes," Draco promised, handing the bucket over to James, who took a seat next to Teddy as the two began to chow down on the overly buttered treat. Joining his wife, he took a seat next to her and reached a hand to the back of her neck, scratching it lightly. "Look at how excited she looks," he said, motioning with his head at Harper who was still perfectly content in Arthur's arms.

Hermione laughed, leaning into his touch. "I don't know if that's a look of excitement or over stimulation."

"Excitement," Draco said with a smirk. "You never know - Mister Weasley may be holding the next great quidditch star."

Hermione set Albus down on the ground as he spotted the large bucket of popcorn sitting between James and Teddy and laughed. "Let's not encourage quidditch just yet, please? I'm perfectly content with having a girly-girl that doesn't…you know…find any sort of pleasure in dangerously flying around a quidditch pitch."

"Well, look at it this way, Hermione," Blaise said, taking a seat in front of them as he handed her a licorice wand. "Seeing how you and Draco are complete opposites, you have a 50-50 chance that Harper will be a quidditch star -"

"Or unable to fly a broom at all," Harry added with a smirk.

"My vote, of course, is quidditch star," Draco teased.

"Well, my vote is dresses and bows," Hermione stated, crossing her arms against her chest as the men around her laughed.

"I'm sure she could play quidditch wearing a bow," Draco replied with a cheeky grin.

"Daddy! Mummy's team! They're coming!" James shrieked pointing as the Hollyhead Harpies team flew out into the stadium, whipping around the pitch to the thunderous cheers from the home team crowd. "I see her!" he screeched, pointing as Harry was now up on his feet, picking up Albus as they spotted Ginny's long red ponytail flipping in the wind.

The boys shouted for their mum - all three of them - as it was the first home game of the season for the Harpies. The quidditch stadium wasn't nearly as deep as the one at the world cup, but it was certainly wasn't the same as playing at the pitch on the grounds of Hogwarts, either. Catching Ginny's eye with the obscene amount of screaming and waiving from their box, she gave them a laugh and a wink before the officials blew their whistles, signaling the players to get ready for the quaffle toss.

The first twenty minutes of the game proved that the Harpies opponent, Puddlemore United, was in the midst of a rebuilding year as the score was already 70 − 10, but it didn't take away the excitement of the first game of the season, or watching Ginny's professional debut. Blaise, who had been watching Hermione watch Draco every so often as he now had a hold of their daughter while they watched the game, leaned over and gave Hermione's arm a light flick in order to catch her attention. Motioning with his head, he made his way towards the box exit, Hermione followed, doing her best to be as discrete as possible, successfully slow as she met Blaise outside of the box and down the concourse a bit, the crowds of fans cleared out a bit as the game was currently underway.

"What's up?" she asked, tugging at the bottom of her shirt a bit.

Blaise pulled the last of his licorice from the bag and popped it in his mouth, the candy hanging out of his lips like a snake tongue as he tossed the wrapper in the trash. "Ok, so you know I don't meddle. In fact, I make it a point not to meddle."

Hermione furrowed her brow, placing her hands on her hips. "I knew there was something more to this."

"More to what."

"My husband and his…general demeanor," Hermione clarified. "That's what you're talking about, correct?"

Blaise nodded. "How did you guess?"

"Because you don't meddle, remember?"

He laughed. "Right. But I know he's never going to tell you and I think you need to know. This is more than just him missing his…his and your son." Chomping on the licorice wand, he held the remainder in his hand. "Look - I don't know how to be anything but a blunt asshole."

"It is a part of your charm," Hermione quipped.

"Exactly. So I'm just going to say it. Draco misses his son. When he sees James and Albus - especially Albus - all he can think about is what his son would be doing. What words he would know, if he would look like you more than him because he's convinced he would have looked like you…but what he really wants is to tell you that he wants to draw up paperwork with the Ministry to give your son an official name. However, he won't tell you that's what he wants because he thinks if he tells you that you'll go straight off your rocker again. I'd like to state for the record that I said to give you more credit, but he's scared. And I get that - he was the one that lived through the aftermath, but he's never going to tell you what he wants."

Her jaw dropped slightly as she clapped a hand over her heart. All this time she just assumed that they didn't give their son a proper name because they didn't really have a name to give him. Hermione liked the name Hugo and while Draco understood the sentiment, she didn't think he'd been convinced of the name. She figured she could get him there, but the opportunity was gone in an instant.

"You can't just tell him you want to name your son, either," Blaise added. "Because then he's going to know I said something and I'm the only one who knows."

"Well then how do you suggest I get it out of him? With violence?"

"As long as it doesn't start with, 'Blaise said,' I don't care what you do."

Hermione nodded, scratching the bridge of her nose as she sighed. She could have strangled her husband in that moment, but in the same breath knew that she wasn't herself, even after she got pregnant with Harper. It was hard not to blame him, though her own guilt from the other night when she realized the amount of grief he held back from her, with this on top, was starting to eat her soul. "Don't worry," she finally spoke. "I'll…figure something out."

The two of them retreated up to the box, where they found everyone watch as Ginny whizzed through the Puddlemore squad before hurling the quaffle through a poorly tended goal. _Ginny Potter with ANOTHER GOAL FOR THE HARRRRRRPIES _the voice of the announcer boomed as the crowd went wild.

Blaise let out a loud whistle as Arthur somehow found Harper back in his arms, clapping her hands as she laughed. "Someone seems to be fan of Grandpa Arthur today," Hermione mused, sliding an arm around Draco's waist as he gave her a squeeze.

"They offered to keep her overnight on Saturday," Draco whispered in her ear. "So we can properly celebrate our anniversary."

"Did they now?" Hermione replied with a smirk. "Well, turning them down would most certainly be rude, wouldn't it?"

"Most certainly," he replied, pressing a kiss to her temple as they resumed watching the game.

* * *

><p>Their first anniversary, Hermione was four months pregnant and paranoid about everything. Draco was convinced she found every piece of literature that talked about what not to do during a pregnancy, and it didn't matter where she read it - if one person advised against it - she tended to follow suit. Her morning sickness had been particularly bad with her second pregnancy, carrying over into her second trimester, so instead of dining out like Draco had planned, the two of them ordered in, opened gifts, and spent a leisurely evening together in the bath.<p>

The bath, of course, worked out perfectly, as it was a traditional custom in England - both Wizard and Muggle alike - to give a 'cotton' gift as the first anniversary gift. True to tradition, Draco purchased Hermione brand new, Turkish cotton bath towels along with a Turkish cotton bathrobe. When Hermione found herself stressed out and worried about her newest pregnancy, the most productive thing she managed to do some days was take a long soak in the bath. Afterwards, she'd wrap herself up in her robe and take an equally long nap. In return for their first anniversary, Hermione replaced all of his work shirts with brand new ones specifically tailored to his measurements, each shirt with their initials monogramed along the cuffs.

"_And what should I do with the other shirts?" Draco asked as he tried one on, impressed with its impeccable fit. _

"_I guess we could donate some to charity," Hermione replied, happy that he seemed to enjoy his gift. "I've already gone through the ones I plan to keep." _

_Draco approached her, a hand resting on her slightly round belly as he gave her a kiss. "Keep, eh?" _

"_Yes," she replied, kissing him back. "They smell like you, and it makes me feel better on days when I'm home and you're away." _

This year would be a different sort of anniversary, however. Hermione was making sure of it. Part of her always felt somewhat guilty that their first anniversary was somewhat demure, but then again, it wasn't as if either faulted the other. Their first year of marriage was nothing like they thought it would be, and while their second year was a bit less stressful, they spent most of it recovering from the first, all the while celebrating their beautiful addition to the family. Hermione was hoping that with her brilliant gift for Draco, they would start out their third year fresh and new, hopefully being able to put some of the demons haunting their first two years to rest once and for all.

"Daddy's going to be home soon," Hermione said, holding two baby jars of food in her hand as Harper sat in her highchair, happily eating her peas and bananas. "He is, and when he comes home you can show him what we've been practicing all day."

Harper babbled, smiling and laughing, only stopping when her mum had another spoonful of food in front of her petite mouth.

Hermione had an apron over her dress she picked out special for the evening, protecting it from her daughter's dinner as she made a silly face before spooning a mouthful of bananas into Harper's mouth. "And you're going to have lots of fun with Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur tonight, and Uncle George might even pay you a visit which means you're going to have three people fighting over who gets to snuggle with you!"

Babbling some more, Harper raised a hand up to feel the soft, pink bow clipped in her hair. Blond like Draco, it was finally long enough to clip back off of her face slightly with a small bow, as the back of her hair was beginning to curl. Hermione was certain that she'd try to rip it out, but instead, she would touch it every now and then and laugh like she was now.

With the sound of the front door opening, Hermione's eyes grew wide as did Harper's, knowing exactly who it was. "Hermione!"

"In the kitchen!" she shouted, putting down the empty baby food jars and reaching for the rag on the counter top to wipe Harper's face, a task her daughter detested as she scrunched up her face and whined, jerking her head away. "Oh stop it," Hermione dramatically shushed as Harper's hands tried to push hers away. "You're alright."

"Torturing our child, I see," Draco said with a laugh, setting down a large gift-wrapped box on the kitchen table.

Hermione rolled her eyes as she tossed the rag into the sink and scooped her daughter from the high chair, perching her on her hip. Harper immediately reached for the diamond pendant around Hermione's neck, to which she gently pulled her daughter's hand away. "No no," she said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But look over there," she whispered, pointing at Draco who had a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Who is that?" she asked Harper. "Who is that over there?"

"Da!" Harper squealed, waving her little hands in the air. "Da!"

Draco's eyes grew wide as he quickly walked over to her. "Did she just -"

"All day," Hermione said with a laugh. "When you left she looked at me and said it, and then started to cry because you were gone. "I told you Daddy would be back," she said to Harper as she handed her to Draco.

"Da!" she squealed, clapping her hands on his cheeks.

"We won't even discuss how distraught I was that she didn't say Mum first," Hermione mocked. "Considering I'm the one with her every single day."

Showering Harper with kisses, Draco hugged Harper close and looked over at Hermione. "Well, I guess we don't need to question who her favorite is now do we."

She gave his butt a playful swat with the back of her hand before removing her apron, revealing her dress for the evening. She found it at a vintage shop a few weeks back, and fell in love with the sleeveless black laced, scoop neck overlay on top of the black, knee length skirt that had a flirty flare from the waist down to the tops of her knees with a thick ribbon sash tied in a bow in back. "I hate to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure her grandfather is her favorite."

"What makes you say that?" Draco asked, slightly appalled.

"I don't know - I think it's the sound of his voice," Hermione replied. "She is just content to listen to whatever he says. It's quite sweet, really."

Draco made a face, looking at his daughter as she continued to press her fingers into his cheeks. "I'm your favorite," he whispered. "We don't have to tell anyone though. It can be our secret."

"Da!" she squealed.

"_Da_ needs to get ready," Hermione said, walking past them again as she fastened her earrings in her ears. Taking Harper, she watched as Harper immediately reached for her necklace again. "No no," she repeated. "We don't play with Mummy's pretties."

"Daddy will get you your own pretties Harper Grace, since your mummy doesn't want to share," Draco said with a grin, giving his daughter a kiss on the cheek before stealing a kiss from his wife. "It shouldn't take me too long to get ready."

"It's fine," Hermione replied. "I've got to get her things ready anyway." Walking up the stairs, she knew Draco was right behind her as she swayed her hips ever so slightly. Hearing Draco chuckle, she felt his arms wrap around her waist as they both reached the second floor. "I'm still holding your daughter," she warned as she felt a kiss through her lace covered shoulder.

"You look beautiful," he whispered in her ear, letting go as he ventured to their bedroom.

"Thanks," she replied, her hand catching his briefly before walking into Harper's room.

Placing Harper in her crib, she gave her daughter her beloved stuffed unicorn to occupy her while she went through and packed a bag, making sure all of the essentials were in the bag with a few extras just in case. Harper babbled to her unicorn in between chewing on its horn, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh at how cute she looked, her daughter looking back at Hermione as if it was completely normal to gnaw on a stuffed unicorn horn. In fact, her look almost resembled that of her husband when he looked at people, wondering what on earth their problem was, which only made Hermione giggle more.

"Does the unicorn taste good?" Draco asked, walking into the room wearing a pair of fresh pressed black trousers and a crisp white shirt with an emerald green tie around his neck.

"Da!" Harper shouted, holding her arms up as Draco reached into the crib to collect Harper.

Grinning, Draco looked over at Hermione as she packed a few more extra nappies into a side pocket. "Daddy could listen to you say that all day. Yes he could."

Hermione summoned Harper's unicorn from her crib with a slight of her hand and picked up the diaper bag. "Alright you two - let's go to the Burrow."

* * *

><p>"Molly! Arthur!" Hermione called out as she flooed over to the Burrow, Draco and Harper quickly following. Looking up the stairwell, she saw Molly and Arthur pop their head out of Ginny's old room.<p>

"Oh they're here!" Molly exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "We'll be down in a minute, dears. Just getting the nursery ready for the baby. Just…stay right there. Don't move."

"Don't move?" Draco asked quietly. "Did she sound…odd to you?"

Hermione nodded, placing the baby bag on the couch. "Just a bit."

Suddenly, the front door opened with a thud and two familiar voices began to echo through the bottom floor of the Burrow. Draco, handing Harper to Hermione, walked into the kitchen and froze. A very pregnant Pansy was standing in the middle of the kitchen, tearing the mickey out of Ron who appeared unfazed at the sound of Pansy's voice.

"Draco what is it?" Hermione asked, walking into the kitchen as she froze in her footsteps. "Ronald?"

Ron and Pansy looked over at Draco, Hermione, and Harper. "Hey," he managed to say with a timid wave.

"For the love of Merlin I hate it when you say that," Hermione snapped. "We haven't seen either of you since our wedding - literally two years - and all you have to say is _hey_? Where in the hell have you been?"

The two of them dropped their shoulders, Pansy's hands resting on the top of her stomach. "We uh…we've been doing a bit of traveling…" Pansy began to speak.

"And then some," Draco added, nodding to her stomach. "You look like you're ready to pop."

"Draco!" Hermione and Pansy both shrieked, Hermione swatting his arm. "That's an awful phrase to say to a woman!"

Draco looked at his wife and made a face. "I said it to Pansy. She doesn't count."

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed. "She counts. And what are you two doing here anyway?"

"Ah, I see you've found our guests," Arthur said as he and Molly entered the kitchen. Harper immediately lunged for Molly, who took her surrogate granddaughter and kissed her cheek. "Pansy, dear, we've prepared a room upstairs for you if you'd like to lie down."

Ron made a face. "Prepare a room? Why not just use mine? It's not like we're sleeping separately."

"Your room _is _the one we prepared, and good thing considering it hadn't had a proper cleaning in _years_," Molly said, giving him a glare in regards to his messy habits before her face softened, glancing at Pansy. "Please let me know if you need anything, dear."

Nodding, Pansy kept her hands on top of her stomach though she kept her gaze down. "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

"Please, call me Molly. Now you two," Molly said, turning to face Draco and Hermione. "Don't you have an anniversary date to be getting to?"

Hermione nodded as Draco slipped an arm around her waist. "We do, but if you two have your hands full…"

"Nonsense," Arthur replied. "Molly and I have been looking forward to this all week. You two have a wonderful evening, and don't be in a rush to come back tomorrow."

"Arthur's right," Molly insisted. "We will be just fine."

"Ok…well, there's formula in the diaper bag, her food…and I don't even know why I'm explaining any of this to you," Hermione said with a laugh.

"Because you're a mum - and a good one too," Molly replied. "Now off you go - you dears have a wonderful evening."

She gave them both a kiss on the cheek, which they each returned before saying goodbye to Harper. Hand in hand, Draco looked at Hermione and she gave him a quick nod before he side-apparated her to their dinner destination.

* * *

><p>Their night out didn't last long, only because when the two of them arrived at the bistro expecting a dinner reservation for two, the restaurant had them booked for their dinner on the following Saturday evening. Furious, Draco demanded to speak to the manager, but unfortunately, their restaurant of choice was a popular one and reservations were required weeks in advance, so despite their apologies for the mistake, they could not fit them in for the evening.<p>

"Incompetent fools," Draco muttered as they left the restaurant hand in hand. Hermione squeezed his hand, grabbing his attention as he looked back at her. "Hermione I'm so -"

"Hey," Hermione replied, giving his tie a tug. "It's a stuffy restaurant, anyway. Let's not let it ruin the night, please?"

Sighing, Draco vigorously scratched the back of his head as Hermione wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him, her chin pressed into his chest. "I'm sorry, I just…I've been planning this for weeks and I should have called and confirmed and -"

"Hey," Hermione repeated. "I have a few surprises in store for you tonight, Mister Malfoy, so I need you to shake this attitude of yours because this little hiccup isn't going to ruin it. How about we pop over to Mister Wong's, grab some food, bring it home…"

"Maybe watch a movie?" Draco suggested, grabbing her cheeks lightly in his hands.

"Whatever you want," Hermione replied. "So…Mister Wong's?"

Draco nodded. "Let's go."

A stop at Mister Wong's and the little bakery around the corner from their house, the two of them managed to bring dinner and dessert back to the house, depositing their goods on the kitchen island. Out of the glass case hutch in the dining room, Draco pulled out the silver candleholders with two tall white candles already perched in the settings and brought them into the kitchen. Setting them in the middle of the kitchen table, he pulled his wand from his pocket and lit the candles as Hermione pulled dishes from the cabinet.

"Really? Candles?"

"It's our anniversary," Draco replied. "Besides, remember when we opened these and wondered when we'd ever use them? Well - wonder no more, my dear."

Laughing, Hermione set the table, placing the settings close to each other. She grabbed a bottle of wine from the rack and two goblets, handing the bottle to Draco for him to open as she unpacked the food from the bags and placed the open cartons on the table. As Draco poured wine into their glasses, Hermione handed Draco a plastic fork from the bag, opened one of the sets of chopsticks for her, and took a seat. Dimming the lights a bit, Draco drew the curtains in the kitchen to block out what was left of the sun for the day and sat next to Hermione, picking up his plastic fork as he laughed. "How elegant."

"It's one less thing to wash," Hermione replied, stabbing her chopsticks into the box of chicken lo mein as she poured some onto her plate, then adding some beef and broccoli to the mix. "Besides - I think the silver candlestick holders jazz the place up a bit, wouldn't you agree?"

"Absolutely," Draco replied, grabbing Hermione's chair and pulling it closer. Picking her legs up, she draped them into his lap as he dumped some fried rice and General Tso's Chicken onto his plate. "I'm sorry you got all dressed up with nowhere to go."

Hermione picked up a piece of chicken with her chopsticks and fed it to Draco with a smirk. "I only get dressed up for you - I don't care who else sees it. "

Grinning, Draco chewed the chicken in his mouth and swallowed, watching as Hermione dug some white rice from the box and took a bite. "I've never seen anyone eat rice with those blasted things successfully. Really, Granger, what can't you do?"

"Other than fly? Nothing," Hermione replied with a laugh as they continued to eat dinner. "I'm brilliant, remember?"

"Of course you are," Draco said, leaning in for a kiss that Hermione readily accepted. "You look beautiful this evening. Really."

Hermione pulled on his tie, putting her chopsticks down and soon found herself in his lap, straddling his waist. "You look quite exquisite yourself," she mumbled, kissing him once more as he felt her hands slide up her dress, caressing her thighs. "We aren't finished with dinner," she whispered, leaning her head back as Draco began to press his lips against her jaw.

"We could be," he whispered. "Or we could take a break. The beauty of dining at home."

She laughed, pressing her forehead against his as his fingers massaged her thighs. "Well, I guess if we did that, you could get two of your presents early."

He pulled back and looked at her inquisitively. "Two?"

"Please, you know there are some wickedly naughty knickers under this outfit," Hermione said with a laugh.

"And the second gift?" he asked.

Smirking, Hermione leaned back just a bit so that she wouldn't miss the look on his face. "Well, Harper is officially weaned."

"Weaned?"

"She only drinks formula now," Hermione remarked. "And since I've been weaning these past few weeks, well, let's just say you can have my breasts back."

"You better not be messing with me, Granger."

"I swear to you - they're all yours."

"And nothing's going to…"

"Do with them as you wish," Hermione said. "But may I remind you that this dress is vintage, and one cannot mend vintage with magic. Therefore you are forbidden go all caveman in your quest to regain what you believe to be rightfully yours."

Draco barked out a laugh as his wife mocked him, finding her absolutely sexy when she was feeling sassy. "As long as you show me where the zipper is I promise the dress will remain intact."

Hermione smirked, twisting slightly to steal back her chopsticks to steal a bite of her food. Draco may have wanted to skip dinner and head straight to the bedroom, but she was starving. Stealing Draco's wand out of his pocket, she cast a quick warming spell over the rest of the food and hopped off of his lap. Enticing him with his own wand still in her hand, Draco stood up and followed her, watching as she used his wand to unzip her dress from the middle back where her scoop neck began all the way down to the bottom of her back. Revealing nothing but the beginnings of a lace thong underneath.

By the time they reached the bedroom, Draco had his necktie undone and his dress shirt untucked and unbuttoned. Tossing his wand onto the dresser, Hermione seductively shrugged her shoulders from the lace overlay, sliding out of the dress and tossing it to the chair so that it wasn't completely crumpled on the floor. With only a view of her backside, Draco shed his dress shirt and his undershirt, not caring where they fell as he approached, her, his arms wrapping around her from behind, his hands finding her breasts as he began to suck lightly where her neck met her shoulder.

Reaching behind her, Hermione began to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his pants - a feat not as difficult as she thought despite the fact she was feeling weak at the knees with every kiss she felt from his lips. Draco kicked off his shoes as his pants slid down to his feet. Spinning Hermione around, he stared at her for a moment before crashing his mouth to hers, Hermione eagerly responding as Draco picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as he stepped out of his pants and carried her to the bed. With the heels of her cherry red stilettos, Hermione pulled his boxers down, Draco ignoring the twinge as the heels scraped against his skin as it only turned him on even further.

He left a trail of kisses down her stomach, palming her breasts as she moaned loudly with every knead and grasp. She kicked her shoes off of her feet, digging her bare feet as she lifted her hips slightly, pulling her knickers down her legs. He reached for them, practically tearing them the rest of the way down and promptly buried his face between her legs. Hermione screamed, her back arching as she felt his tongue flick her clit as he slid two fingers inside of her. If he kept this up, it wouldn't take more than a few seconds before she felt herself come. "Draco…Draco…oh my…" She moved to press a foot into his shoulder to back him off as she felt herself quickly coming to the brink, but he grabbed her waist and held her still, his tongue propelling faster as she screamed, feeling herself come as Draco sucked and lapped it up with his lips.

Hermione's leg slacked, falling over his shoulder as he looked up at her, smirking with satisfaction as she clapped a hand over her heart. Craning her head upright, she shook her head slightly before dropping her head back on the pillow. "I want to yell at you for that smug look on your face…but I can't. Just know that I want to."

Keeping her leg over his shoulder, Draco crawled up towards Hermione, her leg bending as he moved, and rubbed his full erection in between her wet folds, eliciting a slight moan from her lips. "You gave me two presents early; the least I could do was return the favor by giving you a spectacular orgasm."

Draco thrust himself into her, catching the gasp from her lips with his. She could taste herself on his tongue, igniting her arousal once more as he rocked back and forth against her, his kisses matching the rhythm of her hips. "You feel…so good," he panted.

"Harder," she moaned, digging her hands into his shoulders as she held onto him. "You…missed you…this…"

His hips bucked at a faster pace, his mouth colliding with hers once again, letting go of her hands as he braced his against the bed. He knew he'd been distant with everything these past few weeks. Tearing his lips from her mouth, he moved them to a breast, his tongue swirling around her nipple as her moans grew louder. "I'm sorry," he grunted, thrusting harder as he felt himself nearing the edge.

"Turn…over…" she gasped, grabbing on as he rolled them over swiftly, still connected but only for a moment. Pulling herself off of him, she turned herself around, grabbing his erection and sliding it between her legs before tilting her hips as he filled her up once more. "Merlin," she gasped, her nerves appreciating the different position, as did her husband by the guttural grunt coming from his mouth. Riding him, she felt his hands grip her hips as he thrust into her, their rhythm increasing as their moans echoed around the room. "Draco…Draco I'm going to…"

Speeding his thrusts up, he shouted her name as if his life depended on it, coming the moment he felt her clench tightly around him. Pumping through his orgasm, he kept a hold of her hips as he felt her upper body go limp, dropping her head as she caught her breath once more. Hermione stayed still for a moment, moving off of him as her breathing slowed down to a more suitable rhythm. Collapsing next to him, Draco hugged her close, pressing a sound kiss to her forehead.

"Fucking brilliant," he muttered.

She couldn't help but laugh. "You can't set the bar so high with anniversary sex. You'll only be disappointed next year."

"I had to make up for the lack of sex from last year," he replied, kissing her lips with his. "Besides - I don't mind rising to the occasion of high expectations."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Maybe the sex was so brilliant because we haven't had it in two weeks."

"What? No. It hasn't been two weeks."

"Two weeks and three days to be exact," Hermione retorted. Rolling away from him, she opened the drawer on her nightstand and pulled out his gift enclosed a large, legal sized envelope. "Here," she said, handing him the envelope. "Here's the third part of your gift - the last one you won't get until tomorrow on our actual anniversary."

Draco looked at the peculiar envelope, then to Hermione. "I'm assuming it has to do with paper, right? That's what the list said?"

"Yes - the second anniversary is traditionally a paper gift of some kind," Hermione replied, giving him a kiss before crawling out of bed. Snagging his discarding shirt from the floor, she buttoned enough buttons to keep her decent as she retreated to the bathroom for a moment to clean herself up with her wand.

His boxers at the edge of the bed, Draco used a quick _scourgify_ with his wand before pulling them back on, sitting upright on the bed as he held the envelope in his hand. Opening the unsealed edge, he pulled out the contents, his eyes scanning through them until he realized what he was holding - Ministry of Magic parchment with the words _OFFICIAL NAME OF RECORD _embossed at the top. He saw the document was already filled out, Hermione's distinctive penmanship littered throughout the form fields except for one. He saw the worst date of his life written below the large blank field in the middle of the page, along with a smaller empty line at the bottom, next to his wife's name as it was elegantly written out as Hermione Malfoy, one of the rare times he didn't see her maiden name present on paper.

Hermione watched as he stared at the document, reading it through before returning to the bedroom. Retrieving her ink well and quill from her nightstand, always keeping a pen and loose parchment around her regular areas of habitat in case she should come up with a brilliant idea to jot down, she walked them over to her husband. "I…I don't know what to say," she heard him speak quietly.

"Well, I'd like for you to start with something along the lines of, 'Sorry I didn't bring this up sooner as I was content in letting this eat at me until I lost my mind,' but being our anniversary and the fact that you were nothing short of wonderful during a day I don't care to think about and the months that followed…I'm giving you a pass."

Draco let out a small, wry laugh. "Blaise told you."

"Yes, but you certainly didn't hear it from me. He was worried about you, as was I," she replied. Dipping the quill in the ink well, she made sure it wasn't too drippy before handing it over. "I think you know what to do."

Hesitantly, he took the quill from Hermione's hands and stared at her. "But we never…"

"I trust you," Hermione whispered. "I trust you to give him a proper name, something we both should have done sooner."

Nodding, he swallowed the lump in his throat as he stood up, walking over to the waist high dresser across the room. Placing the document on the solid surface, he took in a deep breath before jotting down his son's name in capital letters, making sure that each word was unmistakable to anyone who would read it. "There," he said, feeling the weight he'd been carrying on his shoulders slowly relieve itself as he handed Hermione the document.

"Hugo Granger Malfoy," Hermione mumbled, smiling as she set the inkwell down on the dresser. "A very proper name indeed." Setting the document on the dresser, she took the quill from Draco and dropped it in the ink well so she could wrap her arms around him, caressing the back of his head as he buried his face into her neck. "You are a wonderful husband," she whispered in his ear. "Wonderful, kind, handsome…and if you ever find yourself in this sort of funk again and you decide to not confide in me, I promise I will bury you alive. Are you hearing me?"

He snorted out a laugh, hugging his wife tight as he kissed her shoulder. "Loud and clear, love. Loud and clear."

"Good," she said. "Now - it's not even eight, and there is still food downstairs to be eaten and movies to be watched…and I believe a box downstairs with a particularly familiar wrapping from a particular parchment shop one would find in a magical alley of shops with my name on it."

Draco looked at her, shaking his head as he gave her a sweet kiss. "Chinese…cake…a little Audrey Hepburn…"

"Speculating as to how much longer Pansy has before she begins to add to the Weasley family tree…"

"I don't want to lose my appetite," Draco said with a laugh, retreating to find an old t-shirt to throw on as the two made their way back downstairs to the kitchen. "Though I must say - you two are relatively the same in terms of height and figure…and you were never that…well, round, I guess, with Harper. I still can't believe he knocked her up."

"I still can't believe they're together," Hermione added, walking in front of him as they both trotted down the stairs. "I mean, they're together, right?"

"Who knows," Draco replied as they took their seats back at the table, Hermione swinging her bare legs back into his lap as they dug into their dinner, still warm thanks to the heating charm. "I don't pretend to try and understand things that are beyond my ability to process."

Hermione nodded, chewing a mouthful of beef and broccoli. "Maybe that's the secret to their relationship - neither one of them tries to understand it."

"Does the Weasel really understand anything though?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Nice," Hermione snarked, shoving a piece of broccoli into his mouth with her chopsticks. "He's smarter than you give him credit for."

"He let you get away – I don't consider that smart at all."

"Yes, but if he hadn't, we wouldn't be here…half naked on our anniversary eating Chinese."

"Second anniversary," Draco corrected her as he took a sip of his wine.

Smirking, Hermione leaned in and lightly pecked her lips with his. "I'm glad you're my husband," she whispered, kissing him again.

He grinned, rubbing a soothing hand along the length of her thigh. "Me too," he replied.

Her jaw dropped slightly as she feigned a pout. "You're _supposed_ to say that you're glad I'm your wife."

Laughing, he popped a piece of chicken into her mouth with his plastic fork and kissed the tip of her nose. "Every day, Granger. Every day."


	9. Chapter 9

"So you're telling me that Muggle children believe that one man flies _all over the world_ in a sled, pulled by reindeer, to deliver toys?" Blaise asked with sheer disbelief. "What a bunch of mental nutters."

Draco and Ginny nodded, the three of them standing off to the side at the shopping center in downtown London while Harry and Hermione stood in line with Teddy, James, Albus, and Harper. "I don't ask questions," Ginny said. "It was one of the few things the Dursleys let Harry do as a child with Dudley. Harry wants them to know both worlds, and James quite enjoys visiting Santa Claus."

"Hermione's parents took her every year," Draco added.

"But it's not possible for one man to go all around the world delivering toys in one night," Blaise stated. "Unless he had a time turner, which would mean he was wizard, and if he was a wizard then Muggles couldn't know about him."

"It's a different kind of magic," Ginny explained. "Harry says it's the magic of believing."

"Bollocks. There's only one kind of magic," Blaise argued. "And I'm telling you - that Santa man is no wizard."

Draco opened the bag of cookies he purchased from one of the vendors and handed Blaise one, caked in sugary icing. "Eat this."

"Why?"

"Because if you're eating, you aren't talking," Draco replied.

"You really think giving him more sugar is a good idea?" Ginny questioned, watching as Blaise licked the icing from the top of the cookie like a child. "He's had three already."

Draco shrugged. "What do I care? It's not like he lives with me. Besides he's only going to eat more sugar when we get to the Burrow."

Across the way, Hermione straightened the bow in Harper's hair, nuzzling her nose against hers as her daughter laughed. Albus sat perched on top of Harry's shoulders, looking around at the passersby, as the shopping center was crowded with holiday shoppers. Teddy and James stood next to each other, comparing their lists to present to Santa Claus as their turn in line was nearing.

"I received an interesting letter the other day," Harry said as they took a few steps in line.

"Define interesting," Hermione replied, smoothing out the back of Harper's red and black, satin tartan dress.

"Someone is out and about shopping an autobiography about us."

Her eyes went wide. "Excuse me? What do you mean, us?"

"Us, as in, you, me, and Ron," Harry replied. "Kingsley managed to get a draft, and well, from what I can tell, this one actually has a chance of being published."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione licked her hand and smoothed down a piece of unruly hair on the back of James' head, knowing Ginny would have done the same considering they would be getting their picture taken with Santa. "Gross!" James exclaimed.

"Deal with it," Hermione said with a snort. Shifting Harper to her other hip, she stood a bit closer to Harry so she could speak quietly. "There isn't any way to stop it?"

"Apparently it's written by a guy who followed Ron around a lot, back in the day when he spent his free time yammering on about what 'we' did," Harry replied. "All he doesn't really know is the parts about us, when we were alone, and Kingsley thinks this guy has enough credible information that he could just make up the rest, and Merlin only knows what that could entail."

She clenched her jaw slighting, shaking her head as Harper rested her own head on her mother's shoulder. "Remember when he returned, and I demanded that you give me my wand?"

"Yeah."

"You really should have listened."

"It's our turn!" Teddy exclaimed, excited as he and James walked up to Santa, sitting on his lap as Santa ho-ho-hoed and beamed brightly at the boys. Harry took Albus off his shoulders and went to set him down next to James, but Albus took one look at the man in his cheap red suit and faux beard and clutched his arms around his father's neck as if his life depended on it. "Come on Al!" Teddy encouraged. "It's Santa!"

"No!" Albus cried. "No Daddy no!"

Harry laughed. "Alright, buddy. Maybe next year."

"No," Albus whimpered as Harry perched his youngest on his hip.

"Aunt Hermione, Harper can sit with me," James said.

Nodding, Hermione placed Harper between James and Santa, Santa doing his part to help out by placing an arm around the two of them to keep her safely balanced on his lap. Stepping back a minute, she waited to make sure Harper wasn't going to scream before moving to stand next to Harry.

Santa looked at the boys with a twinkle in his eye. "I'm assuming you both have been good this year?"

They enthusiastically nodded, handing Santa their lists. "Super good," James said. "And I got top marks at school again and I won a football trophy and I help lots with Albus and Harper."

"Me too," Teddy replied. "I help all the time."

"He does," James added. "But we both want new dragons –"

"Because Albus and Harper keep chewing on the tails –"

"And we need glow in the dark paint –"

"For our tree house –"

"And footballs –"

"One for each with –"

"A goal to kick it into –"

"And bunk beds."

"Yes. Definitely bunk beds," James finished.

"How very Fred and George of them," Hermione said quietly to Harry with a giggle.

Harry nodded. "Ginny loves it. Cracks her up every time."

"And what about your bashful brother?" Santa asked, nodding in Albus' direction.

James thought about the question for a moment before answering. "He likes trains. And maybe his own football too, so we don't got to share."

Santa nodded. "What about you, princess? What do you want for Christmas?"

"Probably a doll," Teddy offered. "Or unicorns."

"She _loves_ unicorns," James said. "She might need a new stuffed one. The one she has is all gross 'cause she drools on it."

Laughing, Santa motioned for the lady behind the camera to get ready, and on the count of three, everyone said 'cheese,' and a flash of light flickered. Santa handed Hermione her baby as the boys scampered off, running towards Ginny while Harry collected the copies of the pictures from the Santa elf booth. Setting Albus down so he could chase after Teddy and James, Harry took Harper from Hermione and planted a big kiss on her cheek, grinning as she tried to pull his glasses from his face. "We should probably tell them what happened once Ron left."

"I know," Hermione replied with a sigh as she buttoned up her grey peacoat. "And I know we talked about telling them but there really isn't anything to tell...which was why we said nothing to begin with."

"Ginny is going to need to hear what little there is to tell from me," Harry replied. "Especially if Kingsley can't kill this book."

Hermione nodded as she smoothed out the back of Harper's dressed so you couldn't see the red ruffled nappy cover underneath as Harry kept a hold of her with a strong arm. "Well, we're all going to Molly and Arthur's tonight…I guess we can tell them then."

"After dinner?"

"After dinner."

* * *

><p>"The boys are in bed," Ginny said, as she walked down the staircase into the living room at the Burrow. "Completely worn out, thank Merlin."<p>

"Where did you put them?" Molly asked, handing Ginny a cup of tea as everyone else sitting in the living room already had a cup.

"Teddy and James are in Fred and George's room, and I put Albus in my room," she replied, taking a seat next to Harry on the small love seat. Blaise and Arthur sat on stools near the fireplace while Molly sat with Ron and Pansy one of the couches. Draco and Hermione sat on the other couch, Hermione clutching a sleeping Harper to her chest. It was the only thing calming her nerves at the moment, and she vehemently shook her head at anyone who tried to take her daughter from her arms.

Harry cleared his throat, grabbing Ginny's hand as he gave Ron a look. "Apparently there's been a guy following you for awhile, or at least, he was back when the war first ended, after you and Hermione ended things…and he's taken your account of events and wrote a book. Because there's enough credible information in it, Kingsley doesn't believe he can use the means of the Ministry to kill the book like he has several others. On top of that, he has enough credible information that Kingsley believes whatever this guy decides to embellish or make up will probably be done with the help of Rita Skeeter."

Draco draped an arm around Hermione as she leaned into him, her hands protectively covering Harper's back and head as she sighed. "We've been meaning to have this conversation for awhile. Harry and I - we talked about having it after the wedding and then everything happened with our son it just never…" Hermione closed her eyes for a moment, trying to match her breathing with the slow rhythm of Harper's. "If Rita Skeeter is involved, then whatever she 'writes' about when it was just me and Harry…"

"We just wanted to tell you all what happened, and we - Hermione and I - know it's incredibly overdue…"

"Harry," Arthur said, speaking gently. "Son, no one expects you to tell us what happened."

"Except for my wife," Harry said with a slight smirk.

Ginny's cheeks blushed as her husband squeezed her hand.

Ron awkwardly cleared his throat, Pansy sitting next to him, her hands resting on the sides of her large protruding belly. "I uh, you know…I don't think I need to hear anything -"

"Don't you even _think_ about moving," Hermione hissed, glaring in Ron's direction until he found himself leaning back into the couch. "You of all people should hear this. You threw just as many accusations as anyone."

"Hermione," Draco whispered, his hand giving her shoulder a squeeze. "Let me take -"

"Don't even think about it," Hermione said to Draco as she continued to glare at Ron.

Harry could have sworn he felt a phantom pain near his scar as he watched Hermione and Ron. "Everyone knows about the horcruxes. Everyone knows it was the mission that Dumbledore left for me to finish. But what you don't know about the horcruxes was that it…that they had this way of crawling underneath your skin in the worst possible way. The locket, for example - the one that belonged to Sirius' brother - when I wore it I was agitated, mean, grousing at Hermione and Ron for every little thing. It magnified every frustration I had."

"When I uh…when I wore it," Ron said, his voice a bit hoarse as if he was forcing himself to speak. "It made me feel like I was worthless. Like Harry didn't need me, that he was pissed I was injured and -"

"Wait - injured?" Molly gasped. "What do you mean you were injured?"

"It was my fault," Hermione squeaked. "We stole the locket from Umbridge and we were being chased and we were supposed to go back to Grimmauld Place and -"

Draco cut his wife off, shaking his head as he took Harper from Hermione. "We're not doing this."

"No - it's ok," Hermione cried.

"Ok? Do you see how upset you are right now?" Draco asked, standing in front of her as Arthur reached for Harper. He passed her off without a single thought. "I don't care about the lies or this bloody book or anything!"

"Yaxley grabbed a hold of her," Harry said, speaking quietly. "We disapparated and Hermione knew if he saw where we were going we'd be caught - so she hexed him and changed our direction…we landed in the woods and Ron was badly splinched in the process. Had it not been for Hermione's quick thinking and…brilliant planning ahead, his arm would have been severely damaged."

Ron held his hands together, leaning forward a bit as he stared intently at the floor as he spoke. "Hermione of course figured out how to destroy the horcruxes. She remembered how Harry destroyed the diary, and how the Sword of Gryffindor was impregnated with basilisk venom and that's why Dumbledore left it to Harry - so he could destroy them. But I'd been wearing that bloody locket all day and I just…when I heard them celebrating over the sword I snapped because we didn't _have_ the bloody sword and that's when I left."

"To Bill and Fleur's," Arthur said, bouncing slightly as Harper snuggled into his embrace.

Ron nodded, still looking at the floor. "For a bit."

"When did you leave?" Ginny asked.

He shrugged. "I dunno…sometime in October maybe?"

"And you returned…" Ginny inquired.

"Day after Christmas."

Ginny leapt up from the chair she shared with Harry and stared at him, her gaze shifting to Hermione, then back to her husband. "You said weeks. You said you two were alone for weeks - not months - weeks."

"It was weeks," Harry said. "Several weeks."

"Several weeks is different than months, Harry."

"It's not like we had a bloody calendar with us to keep track of time, Ginny - he left - we had to keep moving!" Harry exclaimed. "And yes - I said weeks - not months - because of this reaction. You nearly killed me when you found out she and I were alone when your brother left us and it took me _weeks_ to convince you that we weren't passing the time screwing each other!"

Plopping down on the ottoman in front of the chair, Ginny exhaled a frustrated sigh, unsuccessfully shrugging away Harry's touch as he placed a hand on her back. Draco sat back down next to his wife, who had tears slowly streaming down her face. "Whatever that woman makes up will be a million times worse than what actually happened," Hermione said, brushing her tears away with a quick swipe of her hands. "But we were miserable. Harry missed you every day, Ginny, and I cried all the time over Ron when I wasn't reading that bloody book over and over again, trying to figure out why Dumbledore left it to me…"

"I used to crawl into bed with her when she had nightmares about Ron leaving…and then the Manor," Harry confessed. "But she never knew at the time. I'd always leave before she woke up."

"Ginny," Hermione said, her voice pleading. "You should have been with us. You should have been with him when we went to Godric's Hollow, when we found his parents' grave, his house…every personal moment I had with Harry should have been had with you. I wished it had been you."

Harry grabbed his wife's arms and pulled her back towards him, her back pressed into his chest as he hugged her tight. "Ron came back the day after Godric's Hollow - and he saved me when I jumped into that lake with the locket to retrieve the sword Snape put down there for me to find…and everyone knows the rest."

"Nothing happened," Hermione repeated. "Nothing happened and it's why we never talked about it but Harry and I knew that if you all didn't know what happened when it was just us…we love you all and we wanted you all to know the truth." She kept her gaze on Ginny as Draco rubbed a hand up and down her back. "Ginny say something, please?"

Standing up, Ginny held a hand to her cheek, not really sure what to do or say first. She could see remorse on both Harry and Hermione's face, but when she looked over at her brother and saw nothing but his same, nonchalant look, Ginny snapped. "You just had to go opening your mouth, didn't you? Couldn't keep it shut…just had to keep telling the same boring story over and over again!" she bellowed at Ron, smacking him repeatedly with a rolled up, back issue of a quidditch magazine she snatched from the coffee table. "And now everyone is going to think that _my_ husband had a _relationship _with Hermione and -"

Harry knew better to get into the middle of a fight between Ginny and Ron, but Blaise didn't. Out of nowhere, he was suddenly in the middle of the room, an arm looped around his wife's as he picked her up and removed her from the room. Draco planted a kiss to Hermione's temple and got up to follow Blaise as he heard the door to the outside open and shut.

Hearing Pansy wince, Ron snapped his gaze upward, letting Pansy grab his hand to press it against her stomach. "Wait for it," she whispers, his eyes going wide as Ron felt the kick.

"Bloody hell," he muttered. "She never kicks for me."

"Maybe your luck's changing, Weasley," Pansy replied with a smirk.

"She?" Hermione asked as Arthur took a seat next to her as Molly took the baby upstairs to lay down for the night.

Ron nodded. "Yeah."

"There's a he down here," Pansy replied, rubbing the opposite side of her belly."

"Twins?" Harry gasped. "Bloody hell, mate - that's brilliant!"

"More like terrifying," Pansy replied with a yawn. "Weasley - your children won't stop kicking me and I'm exhausted. Will you help me upstairs?"

Ron leaned in and gave her a sweet kiss. Grabbing her hands, he helped her stand up from the couch and led her towards the stairs, stopping for a moment as he addressed Harry and Hermione. "I meant what I said when I regretted leaving. I regret hurting you - both of you - and I can be sorry for how I acted after the war but it doesn't change anything."

Harry nodded, but Hermione said nothing. Instead, she leaned back against the couch and into Arthur a bit, closing her eyes as Arthur wrapped a fatherly arm around her. As Ron disappeared with Pansy upstairs, Arthur looked at Harry and gave him a smile. "You're a good man, Harry. Regardless of what people say or write - you know that will never change the opinion Molly and I have of you. Either of you."

Sighing, Harry leaned back in his chair and dragged a hand over his face. "I just hate that it's something we're never going to escape, you know? Someone's always going to want to know something, look for something, fabricate a story to make this all seem glamorous in a way and it was the exact opposite."

"Well, maybe you can fix that by telling your story once and for all," Arthur suggested. "Both of you."

Hermione sniffled. "You mean like write a book?"

Arthur smiled, brushing a hand over Hermione's hair. "A book, an interview, whatever it is, if you make it on your terms with someone you trust not to misconstrue your words, maybe you can finally have some peace. Both of you."

"If it were only that easy…" Harry said with a sigh. "I'm going to go check on Ginny."

* * *

><p>"How can you honestly be so insecure?" Blaise asked, dropping Ginny on the ground outside but catching her before she fell into the snow. "I mean really - how is it even possible. You have two children between you two, Teddy, and a man who put his career on hold so you can play quidditch and you still doubt him?"<p>

Ginny wrenched her arm out of Blaise's grasp and scowled. "I'm not insecure!"

"The bloody hell you are! You just went mental on your husband over the amount of time he and Granger were alone!"

"Because he said _weeks _not _months!" _

Blaise dramatically rolled his eyes. "And yet they still didn't do anything! I understand being sixteen and not believing him but we're all eight years older now!"

"What do you even care!" Ginny screeched. "When we were all standing in the Great Hall - when _his_ voice echoed throughout Hogwarts requesting that we give Harry up - you stood there with Pansy - my brother's fucking girlfriend - and egged everyone to turn him in!"

"I'm not the same person I was eight bloody years ago you insane -"

"What's going on out here?" Draco interjected, rubbing his hands together as he jogged towards them in the cold winter air. "You guys keep at this the kids are going to wake up."

Ginny glared at Blaise, clenching her jaw. "You have no right to judge how I feel. None. Do you understand? Every single time someone comes up with a story or a bloody book idea it just makes me want to strangle someone!"

"I never said I was judging - I was asking for a rational explanation as to why you feel this way now!" Blaise cried. "That man loves you - everyone knew it in school - and when you aren't completely mental it isn't hard to see why! Aside from being insane, you're gorgeous and smart and caring and -"

"There are plenty of girls like that!" Ginny shrieked.

"But none of them are you!" Blaise exclaimed. "Which is all Potter cares about!"

"Blaise has a point," Draco added. "Harry's told me numerous times that you his reason for everything. I don't even think I'm capable of loving someone as much as Harry Potter loves you - and you know very well how much I love my wife."

Sighing, Ginny hugged her arms close to her chest as she saw the front door to the Burrow open. "I'm not jealous of Harry and Hermione. I got over that a long time ago. I just hate how this moment just keeps picking at us and picking at us until there's nothing left!"

"You realize you're in a fight with a ghost over nothing right?" Blaise asked. "Merlin, Ginny - look at you now. Look at your life. Look at your children! You have too much to react this way!"

"I can take it from here, guys," Harry said, approaching the group. Clapping a hand on Blaise's shoulder, he gave him a smile of gratitude. "Thanks."

"No problem," Blaise replied. "I'm leaving for Italy tonight, but I'll be back for Christmas with the world's best goddaughter gift the world will _ever_ see."

Draco grinned. "Come on - Hermione's going to want to say goodbye."

As Draco and Blaise retreated back to the house, Harry stood in front of his wife, shaking his head as he smirked. "You're completely mental, you know?"

"It's the ginger hair," Ginny lamely blamed, hugging her arms tighter to her chest.

"Hermione was right, you know," Harry offered, taking a step closer. "And I'll be honest. It was reassuring to have Hermione with me in Godric's Hollow. When we found my parents…I cried and I didn't even care that she was standing next to me. But I wished it would have been you, like it was the night Dumbledore fell from the astronomy tower. I wanted it to be you."

Ginny ran a hand through her long red hair and sighed. "I'm not jealous of you and Hermione."

"You're a little jealous of me and Hermione," Harry said. "You're always going to be a little jealous of me and Hermione."

"Harry -"

He closed the space between them, shivering as he felt the snow melt through his trainers. Wrapping his arms around his wife he placed a searing kiss to her lips, smirking slightly as he felt her relax in his embrace, her arms reaching up to hug him around his neck. "It's ok if you're a little bit jealous," he whispered, kissing her again. "Because I don't mind proving to you how much I love you - even if you are a bit mental."

She laughed a little bit, tilting her head back as his lips moved to kiss her neck. "It's the ginger hair," she mumbled.

"Ginny," Harry whispered, his lips kissing her jaw right below her ear. "Let's leave the kids here and go home, yeah? Tonight…I'll let you ask me whatever you want and after that, we bury it. Once and for all. We don't acknowledge the rest of the rubbish out there, or what anyone else says."

She shivered as she felt his warm breath against her cold cheek. "Promise?"

Harry nodded, his lips finding her lips once more. "Now let's get inside before freeze to death."

* * *

><p><em><strong>A little shorter than usual – but I have a Christmas chapter and a 1st birthday chapter planned before we start time hopping to the birth of other children, and the chaos that comes with it :D There will also be some Blaise – Ginny scenes coming up in these chapters as the two find a way to settle the animosity between each other…I'm sure you're all a bit curious as to why Blaise of all people was the one that carried Ginny out of the room, right? I'm personally looking forward to the time jump, because I think it'll help spark some new creativity on my end :D<strong>_

_**Thanks for sticking with this story! I think you're all going to like what's coming ahead.**_


	10. Chapter 10

**It's a short chapter - brief even - but it didn't seem like it fit what I was writing afterwards. But I think it's an important enough scene to stand on its own, and well, I guess since I'm writing the story it's my decision lol :D **

**Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy a Powerball ticket - I hear it's a big one - and for the next couple of hours I plan to daydream what it would be like to do nothing but write after winning said powerball haha!**

* * *

><p>"Someone's awake awfully early. You must know there are presents downstairs for you," Lucius whispered, picking his granddaughter out of her crib. Smiling, he kissed her cheek before Harper sighed, resting her head on Lucius' shoulder as they quietly made their way to the hallway. Narcissa was tucked away one of the guest bedrooms, sound asleep. Shutting her door, Lucius checked across the hall, peering in the other spare bedroom where he found Blaise snoring as loud as a troll. Harper looked up at the offending noise, looking at her godfather curiously as he slept with his head sandwiched between two pillows. "I know what you're thinking, Harper, but unfortunately, the godfather decision your parents made is irreversible," Lucius whispered, shutting Blaise's door.<p>

Patrolling the hallway a bit more, Lucius peeked in and found Hermione and Draco, completely wrapped up in each other as they slept soundly. He couldn't ever recall a moment in his married life when he and Narcissa touched each other in bed while asleep, and here his son was with his wife practically on top of him, her head resting peacefully on his chest as he held a protective arm around her. It never ceased to amaze Lucius at the amount of love Draco had for Hermione, despite the upbringing Lucius indoctrinated into his son from the moment he was born, and how open he was about it regardless of what he was doing.

Quietly shutting their door, Lucius and Harper made their way downstairs, where the glow of the Christmas tree lights dimly illuminated the otherwise dark downstairs. Sitting down on the couch, Kneazle appeared out of nowhere, leaping up into Harper's lap as she sat next to Lucius, clapping her hands as she cheered. "Z! Z!"

Lucius and Z weren't exactly friends, but the furry creature adored Harper, and was very well mannered with the Harper despite her affinity to pull on the fluffy fur, even if it was out of love. "Mangy creature," he muttered, watching as Z curled up with Harper, eyeing the man a bit skeptically with his long white hair. Harper patted her tiny hands on Z's back, donning a green and red striped fleece sleeper jumper which Z seemed to be most happy about as she snuggled up against the soft fabric the little girl was wearing.

The sound of steps down the stairs caused Lucius' head to turn, finding a shirtless Blaise trudging through to the bottom landing, jumping down the final step like a child. Adjusting the waistband of his flannel pants, he saw Lucius looking at him from the living room and shrugged. "A bit early for you, isn't it?"

"Harper's awake," Lucius replied. "A bit old to jump down steps, isn't it?"

"Habit," Blaise replied with a tired laugh. He wandered over to the couch Lucius sat on and plopped down on the opposite end, grinning at Harper as she smiled at him. Reaching her little arms out towards his direction, he hesitated for a moment, sucking in air quickly and exhaling slowly, before placing his large hands under her arms and picking her up. Z let out a meow and a glare, upset to be disturbed, but Blaise didn't care. He set Harper on his chest, wrapping both arms around her so that her little bottom was perched against his forearms, and laughed as she lightly smacked her hands into his bare chest. "You must get this early rising this from your mum, because your dad was never one to wake up early unless he had to," he said, kissing her forehead.

Lucius watched, laughing to himself a bit as Harper tried to force her hand into his mouth, with Blaise's lips pursed together tightly as he shook his head no, causing Harper to giggle as if it were a game. "I heard you went 'round the bend the other night on Potter's wife."

"I wouldn't say 'round the bend," Blaise mused, his neck tilting his head back as far as he could in order to speak without little fingers pulling on his lips.

"I heard she was practically kicking and screaming as you carried her out of the Weasley shack."

"She was getting ready to bite Potter's head off for no reason - I figured I'd help a bloke out."

"By picking up his wife?"

Blaise swiveled his head away from Harper's grasp and looked at Lucius. "Whatever it is you're thinking, stop."

"I haven't forgotten the day you and Draco were initiated," Lucius cautiously continued. "When the Dark Lord used legilimency on both you and Draco - he was able to shut him out rather quickly but you…"

Blaise raised an eyebrow at Lucius, giving his index finger to Harper to hold. "I'm not a seventeen year old kid anymore, Mister Malfoy. Whatever I thought back then does not apply now."

"It doesn't?"

"Of course it doesn't!" Blaise hissed. "Besides - I love Luna, loved Luna…I don't know. What I do know is that I let my guard down and fell in love with a woman who quite frankly is the battiest person to grace the earth but she would rather roam all over Europe looking for creatures that I'm almost positive do not exist and unfortunately, I didn't fit into that plan. The other night, Potter told us what happened when he and Hermione were alone and it wasn't anything anyone should have been upset about but she just…" Blaise took a breath, closing his eyes tightly for a moment. "A blind deaf mute could see how much Potter adores his wife and it drives me mental when she doubts it. So what if Potter and Hermione were shacked up in a tent for months looking for those bloody horcruxes. Who cares? What does it even matter? She has so much and I…"

"You what, Blaise?"

Shrugging, he grinned slightly as Harper grabbed his nose and giggled. "If Luna had wanted to settle, I would have been happy. I could have been monogamous. Done the whole kid thing. She was the first woman I'd ever been with that I even contemplated the notion. But when she said no…I guess I figured I was fine being a bachelor."

Lucius nodded, watching Z as she arched her back up high, extending her front legs as she stretched. "I know you cared for the Weasley girl at one point in time. Even if it was in private."

"Care is a strong word, Lucius."

"I was in the room when the Dark Lord mocked your vulnerabilities," Lucius reminded.

"I'm well aware of who was in the bloody room," Blaise tensely repeated. "And it doesn't matter. I'm done talking about this."

"Very well," Lucius replied with a simple nod.

More footsteps were heard coming down the stairs, coupled with a very loud lawn. Harper clapped her hands and squealed. "Muh! Muh!"

Hermione grinned, her robe draped over her pajamas as Draco walked behind her. "Hi baby," she cooed. "Who has you? Uncle Blaise?" She leaned over the back of the couch and kissed the top of her curly blond head. "Are you excited to see what Santa brought you?"

"Or what Daddy spent until two in the morning building?" Draco mocked, laughing as Hermione swatted him in the stomach. "It's not like she understands."

"Aren't you the one who said our children were going to be genetically predispositioned to be brilliant?" Hermione asked, looking up at him as he slid his arms around her waist.

Grinning, Draco lightly kissed her lips. "I did."

"Then don't assume she doesn't understand," Hermione replied with another playful smack as he let go. Picking up Harper from Blaise's arms, she walked over to the Christmas tree and sat down, placing Harper in her lap as she stared at the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree. "Look how pretty the tree is," she whispered, kissing her daughter's temple as Harper reached for one of the presents under the tree. "Draco, do you want to wake your mother?"

"I'll wake her," Lucius replied, getting up from the couch.

Draco walked over and took a seat next to Blaise, staring at him as he shook his head. "What?" Blaise asked, staring back.

"Why in the hell are you only wearing pants?"

Smirking, Blaise looked over at Hermione and gave her a wink as he motioned to his abs with his hands. "The view is my Christmas gift to your wife. You like?"

Hermione laughed, causing Harper to laugh as Draco picked up a throw pillow, slapping it forcefully into his best friend's chest. "You're an ass, Zabini."

"A hot piece of ass," Zabini corrected, simultaneously laughing and groaning as the throw pillow smacked him in the stomach once more.


	11. Chapter 11

_**I deleted this, then rewrote it, then deleted the second copy and went back to the first (thank god for ctrl+z) and well...gah. I just don't know. The next chapter will be the birthday party and then we are time jumping the shit out of this story. My creativity needs it. So my apologies that it's short, and it's ok if you hate it, because I know it's not my best chapter. I want to rush this story at times and just have it sync up with "show me" but I think I can figure out how to have the best of both worlds over the next few days or so. **_

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><p>Hermione had spent most of the day trying to contain the chaos of her house before her guests arrived. It was New Year's Eve, and their turn to host the New Year's Eve party - which had become a tradition over the years. Sparking grape juice was brought for the kids, wine for the adults, and with their finest party hats and noise makers, the evening was spent enjoying each other's company while counting down the moments to the new year. She made a deal with Jori that she could make the food for the evening if she promised to leave the cleaning up to her. Hermione wasn't sure what it was exactly, but she felt less guilty about the elf cooking than she did cleaning. Draco of course didn't understand why Hermione didn't just use magic to clean up the tornado of toys, but she reminded him that it only worked when the toys had a permanent place to go - and right now, she didn't know what to do with any of them. It was evident that they couldn't all be contained in her nursery, and that one of the rooms in the house would eventually have to become a playroom.<p>

Harper was sitting in the middle of the floor, playing with some of her foam blocks and babbling to herself as the piano was charmed to play a variety of children's songs, which Harper always enjoyed. Hermione was glad her daughter seemed to be interested in music and hoped that it would continue as she got older. She wanted to be able to teach her daughter to play, just as her mother taught her. Collecting a couple of dolls and a basket of books, she set them off to the side in the corner of the living room where she had been corralling her daughter's toys as of late. It was just as good of a place as any for now, she told herself, scowling a bit as she stared at the overflowing toy box in the midst of the toys surrounding it. She needed to go through them, figure out which ones to save and store for their future children.

The thought about future children brought a small smile to her face. She'd been thinking about the idea more and more as of late, becoming comfortable with the idea of trying again. She still wanted to wait for Harper to be a bit older, but she also didn't want her daughter to be an only child. Turning around, Hermione placed her hands on her hips at her daughter, watching her as she stood, her hands holding onto the coffee table for a moment before realizing her daughter was standing.

"Draco!" she screeched. "Draco get down here! Quick! Draco!"

He clearly heard her cries, the sound of his feet trampling down the stairs as if the place was on fire echoing through the house. "What!" Draco exclaimed, catching his breath as he screeched to a halt in the family room. What is it?"

Hermione smiled with her eyes, biting her lips together as she pointed to their daughter, still standing at the coffee table. She wasn't even using it to balance all that much, as her hands were waving and clapping at the sight of her father. "Da da da!" she squealed. "Da da da da mum mum mum mum!"

"Merlin's beard!" Draco exclaimed. "She's standing! She's really standing! Isn't it too early for standing?"

Hermione grinned. "James was standing at nine months, and walking a few weeks after."

Draco dropped to his knees, smiling at his daughter as he stretched his arms out to her. "Can you walk? Can you come to Daddy?"

Harper laughed, shaking her head no as she continued to stand.

"Please?" Draco begged. "Pretty please?"

Harper continued to babble, ignoring her father's pleas as she held a block in each hand, smacking them into the table.

Hermione laughed as her husband let out a defeated sigh. "Look at you…reduced to begging with a noncompliant baby. It's cute."

Rolling his eyes, Draco stood up and grabbed ahold of Hermione's arm, yanking her towards him as she giggled. "Cute, huh?"

She flicked her finger against the tip of his nose. "Maybe. Just a bit."

"Keep that sassy attitude of yours up - see how far it gets you."

"Trust me, I'm aware of just how 'far' my sass will get me, Mister Malfoy."

He pulled her close, their noses touching when the sound of the floo in the dining room peeled their attention away from each other. They heard Narcissa before they saw her, calling out Harper's name as she made her way through the house. Narcissa gasped as she found her granddaughter, clapping her hands together as Lucius appeared behind his wife, beaming at the sight of Harper. "Lucius look! She's standing! Oh my goodness - look at her!"

"Well of course she's standing," Lucius replied, moving past his wife. "She's only been attempting to pull herself up for weeks now. It's high time she accomplished the task." He stood a few feet away from Harper, looking down at her with a small smile. "Can you walk to Grandfather?" he asked.

Draco shook his head. "I already tried it, Father. She won't do it."

"Well you aren't me, now are you?" Lucius replied, glancing at his son for a moment before his attention returned to Harper. "Come here, Harper Grace. Come see Grandfather."

A block in each hand, Harper looked at Lucius, sucking on her lower lip as she appeared to contemplate the request. With a look of determination eerily reminiscent of her mother, she stayed close to the coffee table, shifting her feet as she took a few sideways steps, always within reach of the table to balance. It wasn't until she reached the edge did the little girl with a high, curly bob of a ponytail in her hair and a bright red jumper dress with white tights and shiny black buckle shoes take one small step towards her grandfather.

Then another step.

Then another step, watching her feet intently as she held the blocks in her hands. Two more steps closed the gap between her and Lucius, who scooped her up after the final step and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek as she cheered, the rest of the adults in the room somewhat awestruck.

* * *

><p>"Please remove that sour look from your face," Hermione requested of her husband as she eyed him through the mirror while applying a final coat of mascara. "Your daughter walked for the first time today. Be excited!"<p>

"But she walked to him!" Draco all but whined. "She always listens to him!"

Hermione laughed, replacing the wand in the container. "I don't know - why did she say 'Da' first? I'm the only who only had to carry her, have her jam her feet into my ribcage when I wanted to sleep and elbow my bladder during the most inopportune of times. Your nipples didn't feel like they were rubbed raw by the rough end of a dragon's tail from breast feeding, yet your name was the one she said first - not mine - yours. And did you see me throw a pity party? Of course you didn't."

Draco sighed as he vigorously looped a belt through the top of his pants. "I'm not throwing a pity party."

"I beg to differ."

"I just…don't you find it a bit odd that our daughter is attached to a man who barely has the ability to comprehend what emotions are, let alone have them?"

Hermione cleaned up the makeup from the counter, replacing it back into the organizing containers on her side of the vanity as she shook her head. "Harper adores her grandfather and that sentiment is returned. You always say that our relationship was a second chance for you - and that's what our daughter is for your father. A second chance to do things right - to be a better person. Your father isn't the same person he was - just like you aren't the same person you used to be. Either you accept that notion completely or you don't. You cannot waiver back and forth between the two. It isn't fair."

Sighing once more, Draco chewed on the inside of his cheek as he buckled his belt. He knew his wife was right, but he couldn't help how he felt. It wasn't that he was faking his feelings of general civility towards his father - it had genuinely began to get better between the two since Shacklebolt and Harry found Lucius a few years ago. But when it came to his daughter and her affections, Draco sometimes found it to be somewhat of a bitter pill to swallow.

Setting a wide black headband in her hair, Hermione grabbed an even wider black belt from the countertop and fastened it around her waist. She, like her daughter, was wearing a long red sweater dress with black tights and glittery black heels to match, the belt fastened around her waist to give the dress some shape. There weren't many outfits that Hermione had that matched Harper, but the few that they did have, Draco found adorable.

He walked up behind her as she watched herself in the mirror, fastening her new, emerald cut diamond earrings into her ears. Wrapping his arms around her middle, he rested his chin on her shoulder, placing a kiss on her neck.

"I still think you should have let me get Harper diamond earrings for Christmas," he mumbled, kissing her neck again.

"Again, it's a completely unpractical gift for a baby," Hermione replied. "When she gets her ears pierced, you can get her a _small_ pair of diamond studs if you choose to do so. But she will not be piercing her ears any time soon."

Draco laughed. "Yes, dear."

"There's no point in piercing them unless she can take care of them."

"Of course, dear."

"And you know how I feel about you patronizing me," Hermione warned, spinning around in his embrace so that she was facing him, pointing a finger into his chest.

He hugged her closer, smirking his infamous Malfoy smirk. "But just think, I only have a few hours left this year to patronize you."

"I'm certain you could save it for next year," Hermione teased, her high heels adjusting her height so that she was nearly at eye level with her husband.

He planted a kiss on her lips and grinned. "I'm certain I have enough in me to last a lifetime."

"Of course you do," she snarked with a laugh.

* * *

><p>"Where's Blaise?" Harry asked, retrieving a beer from Draco's fridge as the two of them secluded themselves to the kitchen. "He's coming, right?"<p>

Nodding, Draco popped the cap with an opener and handed it to Harry. There weren't too many things Draco found sheer satisfaction with in doing something 'the Muggle way,' but popping bottle caps was one of them. He didn't know what it was, exactly, that he liked about it, but to him was fun. Simple, maybe, but fun. "He said he'd be here a bit later. Why? Did he say something to you?"

Harry shook his head. "We just haven't seen much of him since he saved me by hauling my wife out of the Burrow."

Chuckling a bit, Draco took drink. "Yeah, I'm not quite sure. Blaise is a bit…out of sorts lately. I don't know how to explain it, really. He's a bit more complicated than he appears."

"Most people are," Harry replied, leaning against the countertop.

"Touché."

The swinging door to the kitchen opened, though its intruder wasn't seen until he rounded the kitchen counter, dragging his stuffed dragon with him by the tail. "Hey Al," Harry said with a grin. "What are you doing?"

Albus shrugged as he gave them both a toothy grin. "Hi," he said.

"Hello to you too," Draco replied, setting his beer down on the island. He held his hands out to Albus, who laughed as he reached up for his godfather. Perching him on his hip, Draco kissed the top of his head and retrieved his beer. "What are you doing? Huh? What are you doing?" he teased, bouncing him a bit, Albus' giggles filling the room. "Are you ready for the new year? Do you have a resolution?"

Harry laughed. "Hopefully it's to learn some more words, and finish growing teeth so it doesn't take Daddy ten minutes to figure out what you're talking about. What do you think, Albus? You think you could learn some more words?"

Albus shrugged. "Yeah!"

Draco and Harry laughed as Ginny and Hermione walked into the kitchen. "Well, might I ask what is so funny in here?" Ginny asked, popping her hands playfully on her hips.

"Nothing really - just enjoying Albus' new response to everything, isn't that right?" Draco asked.

"Yeah!" Albus chimed in on cue.

"Well if you'd like to see something funny," Hermione said. "You ought to find James and Teddy, who are trying to get Harper to walk to them."

Harry took a drink of his beer. "And why is this funny?"

"Because they're begging her, and she's perfectly content standing at the coffee table between them," Hermione replied. "Your father is finding it quite humorous. He might have even laughed."

"Stop it," Draco scoffed. "Don't tell lies."

"She speaks the truth," Ginny interjected. "Saw it with my own two eyes."

Draco appeared slightly impressed. "Well…maybe his New Year's resolution is to be more jovial?"

"Doubtful," Draco wryly remarked. "That would require a personality transplant."

"Or more grandchildren," Harry added with a smirk. "Harper's going to be one soon, you know."

Hermione walked over to her best friend, teasingly stabbing a finger into his chest. "Listen here, Harry Potter, you took your sweet time before you gave James a sibling."

"But I was in the midst of auror training - establishing a career," Harry replied with a grin. "You have already done that. Besides - it's no secret that your father-in-law is much more enjoyable when Harper is in the room. Another grandchild could do the wizarding world wonders."

"Of course," Hermione replied, shaking her head. "Speaking of grandchildren - how are Molly and Arthur enjoying the twins?"

Ginny laughed, reaching out for Albus as he leaned towards her. "Oh you know Mum…keeping busy. They're so cute though. Absolutely darling. Ron of course still has that shell shocked, 'what in the bloody hell did I get myself into' look about him, but he'll figure it out."

"I'm sure he will," Hermione confidently replied. "I'm hoping we can visit next week once their better settled. Harper's just getting over her cold and we didn't want to bring germs over."

"We told them," Harry reassured Hermione before looking at Draco. "And you'll be relieved to know, Draco, that little Oliver and Briony do not appear to have inherited the Weasley hair. It's as black as Pansy's."

Draco laughed as Ginny scowled. "You know, Draco, Harry's new life mission is to give me a daughter and if she comes out with ginger hair you'd better change your attitude."

"You better hope this future daughter of yours doesn't have ginger hair," Draco warned.

"Oh really? Why's that, Malfoy?"

"Because if she does, you'll no longer be my favorite ginger."

Ginny's shoulders dropped, her scowl melting from her face as she sighed. "Damn it, Draco!"

"Pity, I know. You were all ready to be mad at me and I ruined it," Draco teased.

"Just a bit," Ginny confessed.

"The Ginger? Get mad? Never." Everyone turned their heads, finding Blaise standing in the kitchen carrying two bottles of wine. "Sorry I'm late…had to find the right sort of spirits for the evening back at the villa before taking the portkey back here to spend the evening with you dodgy lot."

"Dodgy?" Hermione exclaimed, feigning hurt as she clapped a hand over her chest.

"Granger. You know you're always the except to _every_ rule."

Draco finished his beer and tossed the bottle into the trash. "You know what, Blaise? I think I've discovered what you're New Year's resolution should be - to quit hitting on my wife."

Blaise laughed, setting the wine on the kitchen island as he removed his coat and gloves. "If only I made resolutions."

"If only," Draco exasperatedly repeated, clapping his friend on the shoulder with a smirk.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Hello :) As you can see...I've taken a break from packing. But in my defense, I'm about 95% to the point where I can't pack anything else until the end of the week as I move on May 1. **_

**_In reading a BAL comment the other day (I tried searching for it but couldn't find it so I could give proper credit), someone said something along the lines of BAL being like an epilogue to IAU...and the more I thought about it the more I liked that idea. I feel like I've written everything I can write with IAU and BAL and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't itching to get back to Show Me What I'm Looking For. _**

**_Speaking of Show Me - I'm going to be tweaking it a bit. I guess I was a bit over-enthusiastic in writing it at the same time as BAL - chalk it up to a beginner's fanfic mistake, or just complete insanity. Either will do. The plot will be the same, and I plan on updating all of the chapters at once so people can reread it and get ready to launch from where I left off. That probably won't happen until June...but that's the update._**

**_With all of that said - I thank you all for reading BAL...I adore all of you, and I hope you enjoy this final chapter and stay patient with me as I tweak SMWILF along with continuing on with The Request._**

**_XOXO - Redhead414_**

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><p>The downstairs of Draco and Hermione's home was overflowing with unwrapped gifts in honor of their daughter's first birthday. Not even bothered by the chaos, Hermione sat down at the end of the sofa holding a cup of coffee, laughing to herself as she watched Blaise, James, and Teddy do their best to build a castle out of the pink blocks she received from the Potters. They never got very far, as Albus seemed to recognize the most inopportune moment to 'help,' sending the blocks crashing down in a heap.<p>

She tried to keep Harry and Ginny from cleaning, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Ginny scuttled around picking up the dishes with Molly and Narcissa while Harry and Arthur collected the crumpled wrapping paper to toss away. Hermione found it funny to watch them do these things the muggle way, but it was a pleasant reminder, as her two worlds seemed to come together just as she always hoped they would.

Her husband was passed out on the adjacent sofa, his long legs hanging over the arm as an equally tired birthday princess slept on top of him in her frilly magenta and orange tutu skirt and matching shirt with a colorful 1 embroidered on the front. She smiled at how Harper snuggled her little face into the crook of Draco's neck and how his hand, splayed out against her back, moved softly to adjust his hold on her. Hermione wasn't surprised that her daughter was exhausted from her jammed pack day of birthday festivities. She also wasn't surprised that her husband was equally exhausted, considering she found him awake at three in the morning with a helium tank and at least 100 multi-colored balloons in the study.

"_What?" he asked as he pressed against the nozzle, blowing up another balloon._

"_Do you realize what time it is?" she asked as she stifled a yawn._

"_Harper loves balloons, Hermione. I want them to be ready for her party. I can't wait to see her face - she's going to love it!" _

_Hermione looked around the office, her husband's face visible through the streamers tied to the ends of the balloons. "Sweetheart - there are plenty of balloons." _

"_You certain?" _

"_Positive." _

"_Maybe just a few more…"_

"_Honestly, sweetheart, while I admire the dedication -"_

"_Just a few more," Draco all but pleaded. "Then I'll be back in bed." _

_Hermione laughed. "Alright. But just a few more." _

Sipping her coffee, she looked up and smiled as Lucius sat down next to her on the couch, placing his walking stick on the ground at his feet. He caught Hermione off guard as he gave her knee a caring pat. Narcissa and Harper were the only two he was openly affectionate with, and she couldn't help but return his gesture with a bright smile.

"Today was a wonderful day," Lucius said with his usual lack of inflection.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "She certainly was spoiled a bit."

"As she should be. She's a Malfoy, after all."

"This is true," Hermione replied with a grin, nodding in the direction of her sleeping husband and daughter. She reached over and brushed her fingers through Draco's hair as he sighed. "They're quite the pair, aren't they?"

"Narcissa…she used to take naps with Draco in his nursery when he was that size," Lucius commented. "I think she did it to avoid being in my presence…which I don't blame her entirely for. I wasn't a very good husband or father during that time. I do treasure my granddaughter, though. I hope you know that."

Hermione clapped one of her slender hands over one his rough hands and squeezed it tight. "Of course I do - and she adores you, Lucius."

"I hope so," he honestly replied. "Who knows…how she'll be when she's older, when she understands more things."

"She's always going to love you," Hermione reassured him. "Just like she will always love Draco. Who you are right now isn't who you were. You've both earned the forgiveness you've received and if anyone says otherwise…well, they'll have to deal with me and I promise they won't like that one bit."

A small laugh escaped the lips of the elder Malfoy as he gave his daughter-in-law's hand a small squeeze. "You're a force to be reckoned with, Hermione Granger."

"Malfoy," Draco mumbled.

Lucius smirked as Hermione stood up, walking the two steps necessary so that she was standing over her husband. Gently, she picked up her birthday princess and held her close to her chest as she leaned down and kissed Draco. "I love you," she whispered before kissing him again.

"Are you taking her upstairs?" he asked, his eyes fluttering momentarily.

She shook her head no. "I just wanted to snuggle with her. You've had the birthday girl wrapped around your finger all day."

An exhausted chuckle slipped past his lips. "It's not my fault she likes me best."

"Hardly," Hermione said with a playful scoff. Pressing her lips to her Harper's forehead, she carefully sat back down on the couch and looked down at her daughter, her pretty pink lips slightly ajar as she sighed. "Mummy loves you, birthday girl," she murmured in Harper's ear as she leaned back against the plush couch. Leaning her head against the cushioned headrest of the couch, she looked over at Lucius. "I could thank you, you know."

He arched an eyebrow. "What in Merlin's name could you possibly thank me for?"

"For accepting me. For taking care of me when I wanted no one around. For loving my daughter. No one made you change, Lucius, but I for one am certainly glad you did," Hermione said, her voice just above a whisper. "You, your wife, Draco…you've managed to overcome so much and build a life that you can treasure and that speaks volumes to your character, regardless of your past."

Lucius exhaled slowly, her words swirling around his head. He stayed silent for a moment, looking down at his hands, then his legs, noticing how close he was sitting to Hermione as a fleeting memory passed of days where he wouldn't stand to be within a foot of her. Before he could speak again, he watched as Hermione hesitated for a brief moment, before resting her head on his shoulder as she held her daughter close. Not sure if he could speak, he swallowed a ball of emotion rising through his throat and for a moment, felt himself relax.

"Hermione?" Lucius finally heard himself speak moments later.

"Mmhmm?"

"Thank you."


End file.
